Halo: All Hail
by Asgardian Dovahkiin
Summary: Beneath the rocks of the faithful lies the demons of the night.
1. Nightfall

**Planet Capella**

 **Alpha Aurigae System**

The deep jungles of Capella were known for being incredibly thick and dark, housing several kinds of alien fauna that settlers wouldn't imagine in seeing. Being one of the few outer colonies that survived the Covenants siege of the UNSC colony worlds during the war, Capella has been out of contact for years before UNSC ships returned to the system.

Once they did however the planet had declared independence from Earth and the UEG and demanded to be recognized by them. Not wanting to lose territory, the UNSC forces consisting of the UNSC Tiberius and the UNSC Hannibal, both destroyer-class vessels, sent their contingents of UNSC Marines onto the planet. Little did they know was that Capella had sworn allegiance to the New Colonial Alliance. Before they knew it, several NCA vessels exited slipspace near the UNSC destroyers. The vessels had been stolen long ago, five capital ships…they outnumbered the UNSC forces and the destroyers were annihilated.

The Marines on the planet were then taken prisoner and their executions was broadcasted across the planet's media services. This was a severe strike to the UNSC rule of their former territories. This couldn't stand.

And so…the Office of Naval Intelligence acted. Fireteam Osiris was inbound.

* * *

 _ **Halo: All Hail**_

* * *

Night time. The two moons over Capella shined over the jungles of the planet. A NCA military outpost sat in the middle of the dense jungle. Sentry units, automated turrets, scanned unknown infrared emissions, non-NCA were to be shot on sight.

In front of the large gate leading into the main compound, the two guards that overlooked the front path into the base were looking into the dark jungle beyond the electrified fences that surrounded the entire facility. "Hey, how long until change of guard?" One of them asked.

"Not long, in a couple of hours." The other replied, "We should really install more lights in this place. The only one we got is the one up in the tower."

"I wonder if Jonesy is having any problems looking into the trees, that light is really weak." The first guard said.

Outside the fences, hiding in the darkness, was a hulking presence. Despite its size, it moved without making a single sound. Taking out a small weapon, the thing aimed it at one of the fence's batteries, the silent shot disabling that small area of the long fence. Another presence, this one smaller and slender, crawled fast towards the disabled fence. With a small knife, it easily cut through the steel fence and made a hole big enough for it to enter.

"Goddammit this is boring." The second guard said, "Pay day has to be worth it, especially with the Colonel making us guard this shithole. I mean, what's so important about a single hole in the ground? They already have hundreds of these all over the planet. I bet the UNSC doesn't have to put up with this shit."

"Yeah well, they're too busy dealing with some ancient thing like they always do. Hey did you see that?" The first guy said spotting something in the air, as if the light had bended…somehow. The auto turrets hadn't picked anything up, "Must be seeing things."

"I'm telling you man, we need to take a nap." The second guard said. The invisible figure tip toed its way towards the back of the building, found the engine that powered the entirety of the outside perimeter of the base and the watchtower. The figure punched it, breaking it with a loud bang. "What the fuck?!"

The watchtower light died and so did the few light posts that were scattered around the base, the auto turrets went offline leaving the guards in the dark. "Alright…this is bad! Open the door! Jonesy!" The second guard called onto the tower sentry.

"I can't see shit!" Jonesy yelled. "Turn on your rifles' flashlights!"

The guards then readied their assault rifles, the weapons' lights illuminating the way they were pointing the barrels of their guns. But these men weren't trained to fight in the dark…

A muffled scream. "Shit! Where are you?!" The first guard called onto his friend, vanishing into thin air. A break in the wind, the guard was scared, his legs shook and sweat ran down his face. "I swear…if it's Covenant…" He mumbled to himself.

Immediately after he said those words, a sharp combat knife slit his throat, killing the guard instantly. He fell on the ground with his assault rifle's flashlight falling as well. The sentry in the tower, Jonesy, noticed this but he couldn't alert anyone. The alarm button had been turned off as well. "Oh fuck me." Jonesy said.

He then felt a presence standing behind him.

"Hope you have life insurance." A female voice said behind him. Before he could even turn around, Jonesy was violently thrown out of the tower. He fell out of a 10 feet tower.

"Team, regroup." Another female voice called out in the radio. Four figures reunited in the middle of the yard outside the front gate of the compound. They were heavily armored, and their visors glowed in different colors. "Step one complete. Next comes the best part, Command wants everyone down in the dig area dead. And all the equipment destroyed after we gather the info these rebels have found."

"Anything else, because this just sounds like par for the course." One of them said, a man.

"For now no, you know your roles. Move in." The team leader responded. The team moved close to the gate, the team leader knocked onto it to see how tough the gate was. "Hm…reinforced steel."

"How about a push?" The taller of the soldiers said. He moved in front of the gate and with a strong kick easily dented the steel gate. He then used his arms to completely make a hole through the metal gate. "Easy as pie."

"Alright, get your guns and silencers ready. Remember, no survivors." The team leader reminded her teammates.

Before they could enter into the deeper dig site, the monitor in front of them lit up showing the face of Colonel Dominic A. Lockhart appeared. "Ah yes, the eyes of ONI were actually on me it seems." He said spotting the soldiers in heavy armor. "This must be the mythical Fireteam Osiris I have been told of."

"Lockhart. How did you know we were here?" The team leader said.

"Did you really think that your prowlers could jam our planetary relays so easily? They were back online a minute you took them offline." Lockhart responded. The Colonel looked to be around 40 years old, he had black hair, fair skin, blue eyes and a blue scarf around his neck. He wore a standard camo outfit common with NCA officers. "We have eyes everywhere here, so if you want to get to me, bitch, you will have to go through hell itself."

Then he ceased communications.

"So much for a routine operation. What do we do now?" The grey armored Spartan said, he was taller than the others and wielded an assault rifle.

"Aside from fight our way in? The mission objectives have not changed, Buck." Team leader said.

"The dumbass wants us to decimate his soldiers on purpose. This can't be good." The white armored one stated.

"Says the one who has a shotgun readied, Tanaka." The red armored and slender Spartan replied. "At least I have a small gun."

"Plasma weaponry is hardly stealthy, Vale." Buck said.

The team leader, who wore black armor and had blue lights running down the armor smiled at the chemistry that her teammates had. They acted not like the death machines she was told they were, they acted normal. "Alright everyone, let's knock some skulls." She said.

"I have your six…Korra." Vale said. The team of super soldiers then proceeded to enter the elevator and sent it down.


	2. Slough of Despair

_Sometimes I ask myself, if this is was all a dream. Like one big bad dream, that the Covenant never really invaded, that my world wasn't actually the prison of a one hundred thousand year old man-god and that I didn't almost die fighting him._

 _I mean, here I am…leading a team of Spartan supersoldiers._

 _How long has it been…since I felt normal…since I stopped being a girl with super powers and became…this? Too long._

* * *

 **Capella**

 **Underneath a NCA Facility**

 **Circle One**

Fireteam Osiris's elevator stopped, they were in Circle One of the underground complex. "Looks like the rebels have really amped up their budget." Buck said, the NCA was no simple insurrectionist group. They were a formidable military force, and the UNSC has just started treating it just like it. "50 cR that it's all stolen."

"I'll take that bet." Tanaka replied, "Not much of a presence here, boss."

"Check your corners, these guys like to fight guerrilla warfare." Korra stated, "Turn on your VISRs."

The team slowly walked into the immense area, it looked like a cargo maintenance area. Understandable since this was the first floor and supplies were organized here. But because of the alarm that the Colonel had established, the workers were already gone. The entire room was full of crates of stolen vehicles and the like. Warthogs and Gungooses for the most part. No heavy artillery, most likely to keep outside because of the size.

"I don't like the look of this, it's too quiet." Vale said, as the team tried to locate the elevator down to the next level. Korra slid behind a forklift, she peeked over it to see if the area was clear. As soon as she did, a sniper round rushed past her, hitting the side of her helmet chipping some of the black paint off.

"Sniper!" Korra shouted getting back into cover.

"Can't get a good look!" Buck said, "Where's the bastard?" The former ODST was behind the cover of a steel column, he was armed with a shotgun so he was ill-prepared to face against a sniper in a long hall.

Korra looked around with her VISR, the lights had been turned off, and so the nightvision of the VISR would come in handy. The small light that the sniper rifle's scope made when the user illuminated the scope to see clearer was picked up easily by Korra's VISR. She aimed her battle rifle at the sniper, but to her surprise the sniper shoot first. Korra dodged back into cover. "The guy is fast." She said. "Tanaka, you and Buck flank him. Vale and I will give you covering fire!"

"Got it!" Tanaka acknowledged.

Tanaka and Buck ran through the steel columns, not giving the sniper a clear target. Then Korra and Vale opened fire at the sniper's position forcing him to go into cover. As soon as Tanaka and Buck made it to the sniper's position they were pushed away like ragdolls.

"Agh!" Buck grunted as his shields flickered.

Out of the cover came out an armored SPARTAN-IV, most likely one of Ilsa Zane's remnant followers. "Rogue Spartan! Take him down!" Vale shouted. Korra fired her battle rifle at the rogue Spartan's right leg, the shot had broken through the Rogue Spartan's energy shields and into his body armor. The shot wounded him but did not stop him at all and jumped into the other side of the room, behind several metal crates.

"What was that?" Tanaka asked, recovering from the surprise attack.

"SPARTAN-IV, most likely. Black INFILTRATOR-class MJOLNIR armor with green lines. Locus-class helmet." Korra had noticed every bit of the enemy's armor.

"He hits hard." Buck said, "Once I get my hands on that creep…"

The team noticed the enemy in their motion trackers, he was still moving behind cover, possibly trying to get a better sniping position. Korra motioned to Vale to cut him off on the other side of the crate line that he had hidden behind off. She motioned to Buck to follow his movement while she and Tanaka attacked from the rogue's six.

Slowly but surely they were ready and the rogue was surrounded. Buck readied to attack. Korra and Tanaka fired their weapons at the intruder prompting Buck to jump over the crates and crush the rogue Spartan. But to his surprise, there was nothing there. The bullets had also hit nothing but the metal of the crates.

"Where is he?" Buck asked.

Then something hit Vale on the back of her head, knocking her out. The Rogue Spartan then came out of Active Camouflage. "Looking for me?" The rogue asked before returning back into active camo.

"Alright, you know the drill when facing against these guys. Just like the Covenant." Korra said, turning her VISR from night vision to be able to recognize the silhouette of the environment around her, that way she could spot anyone in active camo, no matter how advanced it were.

The remaining 3 conscious SPARTANs of Osiris were on alert, this guy were as good as they were individually and knew how to use stealth to his advantage. "There!" Korra saw a silhouette move in between Buck and her. She fired her battle rifle at the moving silhouette, one of her bullets hitting the target.

"Well played." The Rogue Spartan was forced out of active camo when his shields flashed. "But a true soldier has more than one trick up his sleeve." The rogue threw several flashbangs towards Osiris.

The flashbang grenades exploded, temporarily blinding the team. "Dammit!" Tanaka yelled.

Re-gaining their sight, Korra saw that the enemy was gone. Buck was helping Vale get back up, "What the hell was that? I thought that there were only regular old innies here." Buck said, "Nothing about one of those traitors running loose."

"You know how Command works…full of secrets within secrets." Vale replied, "We gotta report it in anyway."

Korra sighed, she then activated her radio. "Command, this is Osiris-One, over."

"We…." There was an interference with her radio. Korra wasn't able to hear anything coming from Command.

"Command's not responding right." Korra said.

"Try Control, they're closer to us." Tanaka replied, Korra nodded in agreement.

"Osiris Actual, this is Osiris-One, do you copy over?"

"I hear you, Korra, yeah I'm getting the same problem up here." The voice of Spartan Thorne could be heard on the other side of the radio. "There is a long-range jammer deep in the facility you're currently in. Its blocking all long range radio signals, activated just a couple of minutes ago."

"That bastard, Lockhart, he somehow had planned this." Tanaka said.

"He knew that Command was going to send a team out for him sooner or later." Buck replied, "Didn't know he was this good at prepping."

"Can you pin-point the location of these jammers?" Korra asked her contact in the surface.

"The long range jammer's blocking signal is deeper into the facility like I said, but my scanners can't get a good look thanks to all that metal and sediment. Once you get pass the third floor you'll be on your own." Thorne reported.

"Got it. Once we get them out we will contact Command and tell them to let you know our status." Korra said, "See you in the morning, Thorne."

"Good hunting, Osiris Actual out."

The team approached the now unguarded elevator, "It was a good idea in getting Thorne into our little team. Good kid." Buck said.

"Yeah, you should've seen him back in the south pole years ago. Heh, he can get easily flustered around women." Korra said as she pressed the button to call the elevator up.

"Makes you wonder why he would even accept this job." Tanaka said, "You must be good friends with him."

"Mhm." Korra replied while they waited for the elevator to arrive. Then the speakers turned back online, but instead of being taunted by Lockhart they were met with the voice of their rogue attacker.

"The muscle. The speed. The experience…and the young leader. A well rounded team of individuals that alone would be unable to defeat a strong opponent but together be almost unstoppable." The rogue said. "Soldiers, in different types of degrees."

"Then come fight us again, we'll be sure to get you without your disappearing trick." Buck responded.

The rogue seemed to be amused by Buck's comment, "In due time, Helljumper. First, I need to see you all at your peak."

A small siren replaced his voice, the siren was loud enough that it made the team close their helmets' outside audio receivers just to not hear it. But to their ignorance, some of the crates began to move.

They began to be dented from the inside out, something was awoken by the loud siren. Crack! The metallic crate's top was pushed off, with several others doing the same thing. Out of it came out a Promethean Knight, which had been rendered dormant ever since the Battle of Installation 03 over Requiem several years ago.

"Knights!" Vale yelled. More Knights began to come out of their prisons, having been strangely awoken by the sound of the high-pitched siren. The team rolled out of the way of an attack Knight that had fired an Incineration Cannon towards them.

"Alright, Knights…haven't fought against them in a while." Korra said, "These look bigger somehow."

"Modified versions." Tanaka replied, "Seen these before. Just hit them hard enough so their armor falls off."

Korra took out a grenade and threw at the group of incoming Knights. The explosion only merely shook them. "Damn!" Korra cursed, "We need bigger firepower. There must be something in one of these crates that can help us."

"We'll keep them busy, find anything that can aid us fight the Knights, ma'am!" Tanaka said. Korra ran towards some of the crates littered around, ripping the tops off as if they were cardboard. Some contained assault rifles, while other had the occasional SMG. Nothing good enough to take out these Knights with. Until she found a large crate, not vehicle large, but big enough.

Tanaka was running out of ammo for her DMR, "We've only took one down with team shots, but I don't…" She was cut short once Korra re-appeared next to her holding a Whiplash-class Railgun. Korra aimed and fired the Railgun. The Whiplash-class Railgun was unique among its magnetized cannon cousins in that it could hold two slugs inside its chamber at once. Allowing the wielder to fire two rounds in quick succession, with the added bonus of the firing mechanism being a lot more potent. The first slug ripped through one of the Knights, killing it instantly. Korra fired again at the following Knight, this one being a Knight Battlewagon. It tanked the slug, but not without its armor being weakened.

The others took advantage of this and team-shot the Knight until it was nothing more than digital dust. Korra reloaded the Whiplash, and aimed at the last Knight, this one was a Commander. It was using an Incineration Cannon. The Knight seeing the danger of the Railgun, teleported away. "It's gone, watch your backs!" Korra yelled.

Everyone huddled together and watched their sixes. If this thing re-appeared it would be met with hell. Then they heard the all familiar sound of the Knight teleporting back…but where was it?

"Dodge!" Vale yelled, they rolled out of the way as the Knight fell on the spot they were standing on. Boooom! It made a quite large dent in the metallic floor. It quickly fired its cannon, but the shots missed as Osiris was moving in circles not giving the Knight an immobile target. Korra, as she ran, aimed the Whiplash back on the Knight, charged it and fired! The first slug hit the Knight hard on its head, blowing off its armored covering.

Angered, the Knight quickly sprinted towards the moving Spartans. Vale wasn't able to see the Knight coming since it was moving faster than they were thanks to its hard-light propulsions systems. She got hit hard by the Knight's hard-light axe.

She hit a nearby metal crate, her energy shields were depleted. But nevertheless she stood back up. Buck jumped onto the Knight's back and noticed that it had no armor on its head. Taking out his combat knife, he buried deep into the Knight's glowing skull-like face. It roared in pain before falling on the floor and disintegrating into nothingness. Buck picked up his knife from the ground and placed it back in its sheath. "Everyone okay?" He asked.

"Yeah…I'll be fine." Vale said looking at her armor's shielding system.

"Wasn't expecting Knights." Tanaka said, "Surprises after another."

"Well now we know what we may have ahead, aside from regular soldiers." Korra stated, throwing the Whiplash on the floor. "Grab anything you can find here. Splinter grenades. Weapons and ammo before we go."

"Hey Korra." Buck called his fireteam leader. "Got a second?"

"What's up?" She replied, while she was quite shorter and younger than Buck, he respected her a lot since their first meeting years ago. Although they weren't really friends back then, the past several months they had become to grow closer and Buck had started to see her as a younger sister. And as any brother would do, he was always there to guide their younger siblings.

"I think we may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves in this one." He said.

"Seems like a standard op to me." Korra replied.

"Just look at it. Who builds a military base in the middle of nowhere space in a forgotten planet that has little to no valuable resources aside from possible vacation resorts? Not even the Covenant came to attack it during the war." Buck said, "Remember the dossiers on this planet, the ones that Command gave us before dropping?"

"Lots of black lines."

"Well I asked Vale to find out what those black lines were hiding." Buck revealed. "Turns out that most of the UNSC top brass was on the dark about this place…but not ONI."

"Come on, Buck, you might be looking at this a bit too deeply." Korra tried to brush off Buck's suspicions.

"Just listen. Whatever ONI had here may be what the innies are looking for, buried." Buck said, "I mean, what would they even steal Knights and bring them here? I have a bad feeling about this mission."

Korra began to think on Buck's words as the elevator arrived. "We'll see once we go down into sub-level two, then." Korra said walking towards the elevator, Buck just sighed and followed.

"Whatcha' get Vale?" Tanaka asked as the elevator went down.

"Found one of those silenced SMGs that ODSTs use." Vale said, "Bring any good memories, Buck?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Buck replied in an amused tone.

* * *

Deeper inside the facility, in sub-level nine, Colonel Lockhart was looking at the security feeds that showed him a hidden complex in the caverns below the human facility. The rebel Spartan entered to what seem to be his office, a small dimly lit room with a single mahogany desk in the middle. There were pictures of kids on it next to the computer that Lockhart was looking at.

"The targets are moving deeper into the facility." The rebel Spartan said.

"The teams in the caverns won't be able to keep containment for long." Lockhart said as he rubbed his eyes. "Tell me, mercenary, what do you recommend?"

"Seal the complex. Gather your soldiers and leave this place." He replied. "Places like these shouldn't be trifled with."

"Is that so? I guess that you see things in the now rather than ahead." Lockhart replied, "With the technologies hidden inside that complex we could completely retaliate against the UNSC and declare complete and utter independence. Freedom from the fascists over at Earth."

"You seek freedom, but following this path you will only find death." The rogue Spartan responded, "Once my mission is done here, my employer will be expecting a full report."

"Tell the Chairman that he will get his part." Lockhart said. "And…Locus?"

The rogue Spartan, known now as Locus, stopped before opening the door out of Lockhart's office. "What?"

"Death is but a small price to pay for the reward ahead." Lockhart said. Locus ignored the foolish words of the Colonel and went on his way, closing the door behind him.


	3. Perfect Hatred

**Planet Capella**

 **Underneath a NCA Facility**

 **2:44 AM**

Locus advanced towards the inner complex that was located below the levels of the facility that the NCA controlled. Ancient alien pylons rooted out of the rocky ground leading to the opened entrance towards the alien complex. The dead bodies of several NCA soldiers littered the grounds, they had died of their wounds, but the living ones still aimed their weapons into the opened gate. There were more teams inside, flamethrower units, trying to tame whatever that was guarding the wonderful weapons that laid dormant within the layers of walls of the complex.

"Is everything still contained?" Locus asked one of the soldiers.

"As of now…yeah, sir." The soldier responded, "We might have to go inside in full force though. The flamers will stand no chance alone."

"Hmm…" Locus thought, this was obviously suicide. But he knew that Lockhart was prideful enough to send all of his remaining men into the maws of death just for empty glory once Osiris broke through their defense, which they would in given enough time. "Place machine gun turrets around the entrance, and send two more teams inside." Locus ordered as he left, to take care of business.

* * *

 **Circle Two**

The elevator stopped. Fireteam Osiris cautiously stepped out, their weapons at the ready. Tanaka, who had traded her loadout weapons with some Promethean weaponry, the Lightrifle and a Boltshot, took point.

It was corridor leading down. Strangely enough, the corridor was lid, but its tight spaces didn't give the Spartans enough room to move effectively. This was indeed ONI's odd architectural planning alright, but nevertheless the Spartans moved in a line towards the end of the corridor. There were stairs leading down, thankfully to a much bigger area.

The mess hall. Tables and chairs, perfect cover for an ambush. The motion tracker showed nothing, no bright red dots. As the Spartans moved towards what seemed to be the exit, a combat knife flew towards Korra. At the last second she moved out of the way of the titanium blade which struck a metal table. The Spartans fired towards the direction the knife had been thrown from. Nothing, the bullets just hit the shadows of the unlit areas in the mess hall.

"An assassin." Korra said, "This isn't our friend from before."

"You got that right, boss lady." A voice spoke from the shadows. "My friend enjoys a more direct confrontation. Mano a mano. But I enjoy playing with my food before I eat it."

"Activate your VISRs." Buck said. The visors mapped the entire room and outlined the things that hid in the darkness. In one of the corners, behind several tables, Korra saw the outline of an armored figure.

"Got you." Korra quickly aimed her rifle at the figure and fired, the bullet struck the target on the shoulder, makings his shields flare up like a beacon.

"Bitch!" The assassin yelled, "Alright, you got tricks. I got my own."

Out of the locked doors that led towards the mess hall from different directions, several, six in total, heavily armored men entered. They were wearing scavenged ODST armor, and using modified Assault Rifles that had a shotgun attachment under its barrel. Buck sighed, and proceeded to attack one of them. Tanaka and Vale took care of the others. Korra was helping them pinning the soldiers down behind cover. But what she didn't expect was being grabbed by the waist and being suplexed into the ground. Her helmet hit the metal floor hard enough to crack the metallic tiles. The others were distracted and couldn't help Korra.

The assassin jumped on top of her and tried to drive another combat knife into Korra's throat but his attack was stopped by Korra who grabbed his arms and twisted them making the would-be assassin back off before his arms were snapped in half. Korra got a good look at him. He wore a black/orange Scout-variant helmet and Venator-class armor with matching colors. "I thought you enjoyed your shadows." Korra said.

"Well, I couldn't help myself to get my knife dirty." The assassin responded.

Korra quickly drew her magnum out and fired at the assassin who expertly dodged each bullet. But as he dodged the last one, he was met with a spear from Korra who pinned him to the ground this time. She punched him relentlessly until his energy shields popped. The assassin rolled, his face pointing to the ground, he used his legs to push himself up and grabbed Korra's legs with his arms, and it looked as if Korra was piggybacking him. He allowed himself to fall on his back, crushing Korra with his bodyweight.

He then pulled Korra back up and threw her into several tables. 'Augh…this guy knows how to fight.' Korra thought to herself, 'I bet he won't expect this though.' The assassin walked towards Korra, confidently, while holding his combat knife.

"From the way you move I'd say that you are still relatively green there, girly. I mean, those punches hurt a lot, almost ripped my damn head off my shoulders. But I am the superior fighter and…" But the assassin was cut short when instead of finding Korra in the middle of several broken tables, he found only one thing. A live grenade. "Fuck."

The grenade detonated, violently throwing the assassin into the air and through a ventilation shaft. The sounds of the assassin hitting the metallic sides of the shaft could be heard as he fell deep into the facility. Korra stood back up from behind some tables which she turned so she could hide behind them. "What a dick." Korra said.

The last of the soldiers that the assassin had summoned fell on the floor after a bullet ripped through his helmet. "That took longer than needed." Vale said. "Korra, you okay?"

"Yeah. That guy took me surprise, he was a good fighter." Korra replied. "And from the looks of it, this won't be the last time we see of him." She looked into the ventilation shaft.

* * *

"Aaaaahhhh!" The assassin screamed until he fell through the air conditioner of a locker room. The fall was hard enough that it shattered several toilets. The assassin sighed. "Okay. That was stupid."

"You failed." The voice of Locus was heard from the assassin's radio.

"I can't believe I fell for the old grenade trick!" The assassin madly replied, "I will kick her ass next time I see her."

"You got lucky, Felix. Do not squander opportunities when they show themselves to you." Locus said. "Where are you now?"

"Locker room…floor 7. Took a big dive down." Felix said standing back up, his armor was wet from the toiler water. "And not in a good mood."

"Pull yourself together. Tell the garrison to prepare the conference room for an ambush." Locus ordered.

"Yeah fine."

* * *

Back up top, Korra and the others left the mess hall and entered a lobby room. This is probably where the ONI scientists would gather and leave towards their living quarters, and the military guards as well. The ONI symbol had been painted over, replaced with the insignia of the Insurrection, the red closed fist.

"Living quarters." Buck stated. "Lots of ways to get lost here, trying to find the elevator down."

"Places like these usually have a conference room where the big ranks gathered to talk about business." Vale informed her team, "There might be a way down there."

"Then we go there." Korra said.

"Wait, Korra. It could be a trap, it's the only way down there." Tanaka said, "We may want to think better about this."

"What are we going to do? Wait around until they fall asleep? We get there and we smoke them out, got it?" Korra told her team.

"You're the boss." Buck reluctantly said. Korra nodded, leading her team into one of the many hallways that extended from the lobby room.

* * *

Felix furiously walked towards what seemed to be an artifact in the middle of the lowest level of the facility. There Locus and Lockhart stood as the science team hastily tried to connect the artifact to several fusion engines. "What the hell are you doing here, Locus?! Aren't you supposed to be up there killing the enemies?!" Felix yelled.

"Lockhart needed me here." Locus replied.

"The final piece of the artifact has been recovered from the Forerunner complex." Col. Lockhart said.

"I was expecting you know…actual weapons!" Felix interjected.

"After the fight that the UNSC had with the Prometheans above Requiem, my information sources told me that there was a teleportation grid across the galaxy the ancient Forerunners used to move from one restricted area to another. That was how Ilsa's faction and the Red Lotus were able to teleport from Requiem to the Halo, according to those who survived the battle on the ring." Lockhart informed the two mercenaries. "Imagine what we could find once we activate this artifact. A gateway to a Forerunner weapons cache or better!"

"Or worse." Locus coldly said, "It is not wise to toy around with things we do not understand. The complex below is prove to that sentiment."

"Locus may be a hard ass, but he's right." Felix agreed with his partner. "I prefer keeping my limbs as human as possible."

Lockhart smiled and shook his head in disapproval. The artifact lit up, it was operational now. "It lives." Lockhart said as the artifact began to open a rift in the room.

"Something's happening." Locus said, the power of the facility began to fluctuate. "Shut it down!"

"If the facility's power is busted the automated turrets will be offline…leaving us defenseless from those things coming out of the complex!" Felix added.

But their words fell on deaf ears. The artifact began to consume too much power in an alarming rate. The fusion reactors began to fail, the scientists tried to shut it down but it was too late. The artifact began to draw out power from the facility itself, as if it had a mind of its own.

"FUCK!" Felix yelled as the lights exploded and the artifact opened a rift in space time right in front of them.

* * *

The entire facility shook, taking Fireteam Osiris by surprise. "What the hell was that?" Buck asked.

When they entered the conference room, they found that the ambush party that waited for them were trying to communicate to their officers stationed below but no one responded. They began to get desperate as their radios died and the power went out.

The Spartans turned on their VISRs to see perfectly in the darkness. Their steps were heard by the rebel soldiers who quickly dropped their weapons and surrendered. "Don't shoot!" One of them yelled out. "We don't want to die!"

Korra lowered her weapon, "What's going on?" She asked them.

"We don't know! We are completely defenseless…" One of them said in terror. "Please, we just want to get back to our families. We never even wanted to be here, we were conscripted!"

Buck placed his hand on Korra's shoulder. She sighed. "Just one condition. Once you all ten of you get out of here, you take your families to UNSC space, preferably a small colony, and never tell anyone of who you were or who you served. Got it?" Korra showed mercy.

The soldiers ripped their rag-tag armor off and ran past the Spartans, "There must be some kind of auxiliary stair exit." Tanaka said.

"Should come useful, now…" Korra was cut off as the facility shook yet again. "We must get down there."

"The elevator's offline." Vale said reading the facility's power. "We take the stairs?"

Korra looked around, "There must be a small portable battery around here." She stated ripping one of the locked doors off its hinges.

"We could connect one of those to the elevator manually." Buck said, "Nice."

Korra found one, "It has a 50% charge, should be enough to get us down to lower levels."

The team got inside the dark elevator, Vale began to manually connect the battery to the elevator's control panel. "I'm getting an energy pulse from sub-level 7 of the facility." Tanaka stated, "They're doing something weird down there."

"Alright then we get there." Korra said, "Once we get Lockhart in custody we high tail it out of here."

The elevator's light turned on.

Fireteam Osiris descended deeper into the facility, into the unknown. As the elevator went down, Korra began to get an uneasy feeling while their ride skipped sub-levels 3 and 4. The deeper they went, the air began to get heavier. Korra was the only one feeling it since her teammates were fine, looking at their guns or taking off pieces of debris of their visors.

It was that uneasy feeling that someone got in their stomach. The hairs on her neck rose beneath her armor. Her legs shook a bit, unnoticeable to the others, but it began to grow fear in her mind.

What had the Insurrection unleash down there? There was only one way to find out.


	4. Uncomfortable Silence

**Planet Capella**

 **Within a NCA Facility**

 **3:00 AM**

 **Circle Six**

The elevator stopped, the battery was empty. The darkness of the cramped elevator was enough to give any other normal person claustrophobia, but not Spartans. Still, beyond the elevator's metal doors, Fireteam Osiris could hear gunfire and screams. The remaining rebel garrison was fighting for their lives, and they were losing. "Allow me." Buck stepped forward and placed his hands in between the doors of the elevator and pushed them apart easily.

Now outside the metal box that was the elevator, they were met with something no one had seen a really long time. Something they hoped they wouldn't see ever again. "Spores." Tanaka said, "In the air."

"Oh no…" Korra said under her breath. A chilling feeling raced down her spine, sweat beginning to drip down her forehead and falling onto her visor. Her teammates detected the odd heart rhythm thanks to them being linked via their armor's wireless team-connect system.

"You okay there, Korra?" Buck asked, worried that she would have a panic attack.

Korra focused, she looked at her worried teammates, and though their faces were hidden beneath their helmets she could tell from their body language that they were worried. She straighten her posture, "I don't like this Buck, not one bit." Korra replied as she advanced forward into what seem to be the body of a dead rebel soldier. "Look at his chest."

"Clean right open." Vale said, "Not plasma damage, the guts have been completely…removed."

"We've been trained for this, back in the Infinity." Tanaka said, "We can handle it."

"You haven't seen them face to face, Holly." Buck responded, "You see this? This isn't some kind of army or military force we are facing, this is death incarnate. We gotta go in there and shoot anything we see. No survivors."

"But Buck…the mission." Vale said.

"Buck's right. Mission parameters have changed, we can't no longer bring Lockhart back alive, with the air contaminated and the infection loose in the lower levels. Scorched earth." Korra stated, "We find this place's core and set it to go boom."

A nightmarish screech wailed from the closed sealed door. The Spartans slowly walked towards the closed door, Korra holding onto her rifle. Gunfire could be heard behind the door as well, the remaining rebels most likely. They were still holding out, but she knew that this would be futile in the end. The only way to beat the infection is to turn this place into a crater.

Tanaka noticed the door's control panel, there was blood over the console. She pressed the button to open the door. It quickly opened. They turned on their VISRs and slowly entered the other room. It was dark, some lights flickered. This had been some sort of science level, close to whatever the hell Lockhart had been doing. Wanting answers, Korra began to inspect some of the dead rebels. "Look at their wounds, something scrambled the insides" Vale stated.

"Smells like a trap." Buck replied as he looked at the dragged bodies and blood trails. "No way in hell they would leave bodies like this."

Korra walked towards one of the blood trails. "This one leads towards the stairs." Korra said, "Might as well be a trap. Luckily for us the elevators are out and the stairs in this section start here."

She opened the door towards the stairwell, darkness once again. Korra felt that heavy feeling once again, this time pressing against her chest as she stared into the blackness that consumed the stairwell. Pools of blood decorated the steps. Thanks to the VISR she could see each individual step without the worry of tripping over a dead body or something. Buck noticed Korra's hesitation yet again, he didn't say anything but he began to worry about his fireteam's leader's mental health.

Osiris slowly but surely went down the stairs, there were some pistols and assault rifles littering the stairs, signs of fighting. Bullet holes and gore. Thankfully their helmets' filtered the stench and spores in the air. The parasite has already started modifying the air filtration system of the facility for their own use.

* * *

 **Circle Seven**

They reached level seven, this was where it started. The door that welcomed them into the floor was…missing. It had been tore away, concrete and all. It was chaos inside, but the lights were somewhat on. The emergency system had kicked in here, but it was still dark enough to ensure the use of the VISR. Osiris entered to what seemed to be one big room full of computers, servers, and tons of egghead equipment. Lab tables had broken test tubes that looked awfully non-human, and had non-Covenant alien corpses.

"What the hell is all this?" Buck quietly asked.

There was a viewing window into the larger testing chamber below, the glass was cracked but the emergency defense shutdown had been activated and the window was covered with dense steel coverings. Tanaka and Vale were curious about the twisted science experiments, but Korra was more curious of what was beyond inside the testing chamber. She walked down into the entrance of the testing chamber. It was a bloodbath here, with guts hanging from the ceiling dripping with bodily fluids, guns scattered around and bodies. Lots of dead rebel soldiers. There was one alive though, he was sitting next to the testing chamber's door controls. He had a big gash over his body armor, he was losing blood.

Korra approached the soldier along with Buck, "Give me some biofoam." Korra asked Buck.

"Here." He gave her a canister of it. She placed the injection into the soldier's wounded area and released the healing foam into it. The soldier yelped in pain as the foam 'stitched' his wound together to prevent blood loss.

"You alright?" Korra asked the man. He was regaining his breath, he had a mixture of terror and agony in his face. As if he had seen the devil face-to-face… "We're not here to hurt you…anymore. Just tell us what happened here and we'll get you to safety."

"Those devils…those monsters…they…attacked us. Out of the woodwork. The Colonel…he said we could contain them. But then…they activated the portal…led more here. Augh…they took my squad…I could see them going inside their skin…oh my god…" The man was clearly stricken with what had occurred.

"Slow down, take it easy. Those things aren't here anymore." Korra tried to ease the man…or herself. She didn't know.

"I closed the door down into…the testing chamber. Lots of guys…on the other side, oh my god. I killed them! Oh shit oh god…but…they aren't gone…they're here around us…in the darkness. Hearing us…augh." The man's words sent a chill down Korra's spine. Cold sweat ran around her forehead beneath her visor. Her VISR wasn't picking anything up, neither was her motion tracker sensing anything but friendlies…wait…there was Buck, Tanaka and Vale…but what were those…other dots in her tracker.

Korra quickly stood up, her eyes wide open and her lips tightly closed. Her legs were shaking and her arms were as well. Her respiration escalated…Buck noticed it. "Korra, what's going on? Talk to me." He approached her.

She didn't answer instead she looked back at the wounded rebel, "Who did this?" Korra asked.

"Lockhart and those mercenaries…agh…they were inside when it happened." He answered.

"The Colonel is inside." Korra said, "And so is the core of this place."

She knew they were around them, watching them like hawks at their prey…waiting to strike. Korra approached the controls, her finger hovering over the release key. "Korra, what's happening?" Buck asked, grabbing Korra's hand.

"Buck…we have to complete the mission." Korra insisted.

"The mission? Look at you, you're scared beyond your mind. We don't have to do this, we have enough charges to seal this place up for good." Buck responded.

"You don't get it. They're around us…they had been ever since we arrived in the elevator…even before we opened the first door. This was a trap…but we just didn't know where the bait was. We can't go back." Korra said.

Buck was worried now as well…that meant that…mother of God. Buck released his grip over Korra's wrist…they looked at each other. "Then let's get this over with." He said.

Korra pressed the button, unlocking the door. The wounded rebel quickly crawled into an opened ventilation shaft hoping to find cover. Vale and Tanaka joined them, weapons ready. The testing room was a mess, tubes and busted engines…the first thing that could be noticed was the burned center of the room. Skeletons and burned bodies scattered around, this was the epicenter of the infection. At least the one caused by Lockhart.

The opposing door was closed as well, Korra approached towards the center and saw that the pieces of melted metal were of Forerunner origin. Where could've these idiots had gathered this type of tech, this wasn't anything like the Knights. Before she could even show this to her team, the door they had come from closed. "Dammit, that son of a bitch!" Buck referred to the wounded rebel, but then his screams could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Oh no…" Vale said as terror consumed the entire Spartan fireteam.

The metal covered windows began to be banged on, as was the opposing door that led towards the other remaining floors of the facility. BANG! BANG! BANG! Korra and her team were surrounded…the metal doors began to be dented outwards as each bang got louder…the screeching began again.

Korra panicked, the entirety of her training had never prepared her for this. This wasn't glory, this was death itself coming towards her. "Korra, get your charges ready!" Buck said.

Korra quickly searched for her grenades, some of them being splinter grenades gathered from the fallen Knights above. BOOM! The door they had come through busted opened and there they were. What used to be the facility's military garrison and science team…the Flood. The monsters attacked the team, they fired their weapons. Some fell but several got too close, making Korra throw one of her splinter nades at them, the twisted abominations were vaporized but more came as soon as they died. The opposing door busted open as well, more combat forms flooded in, choking out Osiris's breathing room. Grenades were thrown, exploding but not taking out enough. Korra was smacked by one of the combat form's long tendril arms, her shields broke. "Ah!" She could feel as if her entire ribs had been crushed but luckily her shields and armor had taken the blunt of the attack. But then more combat forms jumped over here, she could see the tendrils of the combat form's infection form slicing the upper part of her blue visor.

Her arms and legs being held in place by the weight of the abominations, but she quickly kicked the one over her legs off and used her legs to throw the one over her chest away. Regaining her strength she dropped the other ones as well with punches. But more came, her team being engulfed by the monsters…Korra could see her entire life passing by her eyes…this was the end. When suddenly rocket launcher shots screamed through the air, the missiles hitting the bulk of infection forms. Korra turned to see the unlikeliest of saviors standing over a small hill of dead combat forms near the opposing door's entrance. Locus.

"Come on!" He yelled.

Not wanting to be 'consumed' by the Flood, Osiris ran towards their savor. Locus aimed his rockets at the doorway, shooting one missile at it. The explosion collapsed the entire entrance, crushing some combat forms and stopping them for the time being.

Catching their breaths and wits, Korra and her team quickly aimed their guns at their savor. "Stand down, Spartans. We don't need to fight…now." Locus said. "I am sure that after what just happened, you would give me a chance to talk."

"Fine. Talk." Korra said.

"First thing's first…" Another voice was heard behind them. It was that other mercenary… "Name's Felix, and look at you, all covered in nasty space zombie guts."

"Seems like you aren't in the best of shapes as well, snot licker." Korra responded, she relaxed a little. While these two mercenaries were dangerous and not to be trusted, the Flood was…more dangerous. "Heard that Lockhart messed up, big time."

"He did. The Colonel took a device from the Forerunner complex below this facility. He thought he would find weapons in the other side of the device's portal…but he only gave us this. The Flood." Locus said.

"It didn't help that the damned parasite was inside the fucking complex too. We were barely able to duck and run into one of the armories when this place got space AIDS." Felix added. "Now we are trapped with the only way out is deeper into this shithole."

"Deeper? Isn't it teeming with Flood downstairs?" Vale asked.

"So is the upstairs, all of the floors are compromised. Those soldiers you let go before coming here, didn't make it as far as the second floor." Felix said, "Poor bastards got eviscerated."

"Wait wait wait…all levels?" Tanaka asked, "That means…"

"This backwater world is about to become a hive world." Locus replied, "In a matter of a few hours."

"Well that's good…now we have to get out of here and call command. Thing is, how the hell do we get out of here?" Buck wondered.

"There's a service elevator that runs from the last level of this facility all the way to the first floor." Locus said, "But it's inside Lockhart's office."

"Speaking of him, where is he?" Korra asked.

"Dead, or infected, I don't care. Hated the guy anyway." Felix said, "To put things short, we need your help, we couldn't possibly make it there on our own."

Korra didn't trust these two, they would betray at the moment's notice but they were right. Going it alone would mean death for either team. Korra sighed. "Alright. Lead the way."

"Perfect. Let's go." Felix said.

Osiris and the mercenaries exited the room they were in and proceeded deeper into the doomed facility. The way had been mostly cleared by the two mercenaries, nothing but Flood corpses and discarded bullet casings.

* * *

 **Circle Eight**

The engine rooms. This was the place where all of the facility was powered from, it was what kept its drills alive and kept it lit. The immense engine room was mostly catwalks surrounded gigantic engines and the like. Some of the engines were still working, being the filtration and air systems and the emergency sub-routine engine.

As they passed by several of them, Korra remembered that a place as big as this one had to have a reactor that fed it. A nuclear reactor most likely. If she could find it, she could make it go into meltdown and blow this place from the face of the galaxy.

Korra locked around for it as she followed Locus, as she searched for the reactor she was halted when she hit Locus's back with her visor. "Why are we stopping?" She asked the mercenary.

"We'll be splitting up." Felix responded. In front of them the catwalk had collapsed but there were two auxiliary walkways going in the opposite direction of each one. Left and right. "Your call, princess."

"Vale and Tanaka, you go with Felix to the left. Buck, Locus and I will go the right." Korra ordered.

"You got it." Tanaka acknowledged, Vale nodded. They separated, hopefully one of them finding the way out. As they walked Korra noticed that Locus was silent through it all. Not even trying to start some sort of interaction with Buck and her like his chatty friend did.

"You're not very talkative, are you?" Korra asked the mercenary.

"Focus on the matter at hand…Avatar." Locus responded, this surprised Korra. How would he know this? Her name wasn't very well known outside the Requiem and she was basically classified info for the UNSC.

"How do you…"

Korra expected to be cut off with a sly remark about how he knew people or something, instead she received silence. "Well, I'm not that person anymore." Korra said.

Buck was listening.

"You don't stop being who you are because of whatever they told you." Locus said. "Consider yourself lucky, at least you have a world that cares for your existence."

"Don't you?" Korra asked.

"My world died long ago." Locus responded. Korra could feel a slight emotion of guilt for asking that…but these were cold-blooded killers…why should she feel sorry? Putting these thoughts aside, they reached to what appeared to be one big reactor. This was it.

"Wait stop. This is the reactor." She said.

"Indeed it. What do you want to do with it?" Buck asked.

"Make it meltdown, blow this place up." Korra said. "Not a very original plan, but it's the only way we can…"

"What are you crazy? We don't even know if it would straight up blow up on our faces or not." Buck was shock of hearing this.

Locus was already messing with the controls of the reactor, "A timer can be set." He said, "1 hour maximum. That should give us enough time to find the service elevator and get to safety."

"You two are nuts." Buck said.

"If we don't stop it here, then more would get out to infest the planet." Korra said.

Buck shook his head but she was the leader, "Alright, what you say goes." Buck responded, "I hope to Aunt Greta we aren't turned into radioactive fried eggs."

Locus turned the main nob to maximum, "The process has started. We better get moving." The mercenary said. But then several footsteps shook the walkway, spores began to fill the air… "And we better move fast."

* * *

Meanwhile, the other team entered a smaller area of the engine room. Small control rooms and break rooms…this was where the engine room workers would keep the area stable. This place had been mostly untouched and was most likely the place where the exit towards the last level was. "Anyone want some coffee? It's just a day old, heh." Felix joked.

"Stale coffee is nasty." Tanaka replied, "Well smart guy, where's the exit?"

"This way." Felix led them to the stairwell. "This is the way down."

"Good. Let me get the others through the radio and…" Vale was interrupted by the sound of the alarm. "What the hell?"

"Someone messed with the reactor." Felix said. A loud screech echoed through the room… "And led those zombies here. Quickly down the stairs!"

* * *

Korra, Locus, and Buck were running back towards where they had split off from the others. Buck had received a quick message from Vale, who was running as well, that the area they had been was the exit. The trio ran back as the Flood closed in on them, they were now using weapons, firing at them with assault rifles and pistols.

Locus threw a frag grenade behind them, the nade exploded taking out some of the incoming combat forms and making a big hole to keep them preoccupied. Out of the dark ceiling more combat forms dropped down around them, standing on top of the engines firing their newfound weapons. Korra ignored the bullets hitting her energy shields, and just kept running. A Flood carrier form appeared in front of them, wanting to explode and halt their progress. Instead Buck shoulder rammed it making the carrier form fall into the dark abyss below them. More combat forms dropped down in front of them, firing their guns. The trio counter-attacked, shooting the monsters down.

Reaching the starting area, the saw that the opposite catwalk was infested with infection forms. "It's those infector thingies." Buck said.

"Your shields will keep them off you, now just run!" Locus yelled. They ran over the little critters, they jumped onto the energy shielded supersoldiers, popping upon contact with the shields. But with every one that hit, the shields depleted. Thankfully their speed outraced the infection forms allowing them to reach the control area that the others had been at.

There were several unarmed combat forms there, waiting. Where they starting to think? Buck switched his assault rifle with the shotgun on his back and fired at the monsters, making one of them explode into bits. Korra precisely fired into the infection form on the chest cavity of one of the combat forms, killing it instantly. Locus easily sliced through the last one with his combat knives.

"To the stairs!" Buck yelled. The trio ran towards the stairwell and quickly headed down into the last level.

* * *

 **Circle Nine**

The last floor, it was just one hall with two doors. One of them had been busted open, the trio ran towards it. It was Lockhart's office, Locus looked for the secret elevator… but he only grunted in frustration. "What is it?" Korra asked.

"The elevator. It's gone." Locus replied.

"Gone?! What do you mean gone?!" Buck was getting agitated as he guard the door as the Flood was coming towards them in an alarming rate.

"Felix and your friends took it to save themselves." Locus said. Korra couldn't believe what she was hearing, Vale and Tanaka would never betray her like this.

"What do you mean save themselves?" Vale asked as she and Tanaka left their hiding spots.

"Tanaka! Vale! You're still here!" Korra was relieved.

"Yeah, once we got here, our friend knocked us out and took the lift up." Tanaka said, "Come on, K, you know that we would never leave anyone behind."

"A nice thought, but we lost our ride out and we have forty minutes before this place blows up." Locus said.

Korra then got an idea, "Hey you said that Lockhart got the portal device from the complex below this place right?" She asked.

"Yes." Locus answered.

"This might sound desperate but I think we should find another one of those and teleport our way out of here." Korra said.

"You do realize that it was one of those things that led those things in here in the first place right?" Vale asked.

"Hey desperate times call for desperate measures that's what I always say." Buck agreed with Korra.

"Then we better get out of here." Locus said.


	5. The Spirit World

**Planet Capella**

 **Underneath a NCA Facility**

 **3:40 AM (Local Capellan Time)**

Fireteam Osiris and the mercenary known as Locus exited the Lockhart's office and descended deeper into the facility. There was one final gate, this one led into the caverns proper, which also contained the entrance of the Forerunner structure below. The exit gate looked to have blown open by a terrible explosion of some kind. Vale approached it and inspected the burn marks on the steel gate.

"RPG fire." She stated.

"Possibly one of the autoturrets." Locus said, stepping outside into the cavern. The light posts that made a path towards the Forerunner structure were off and the autoturrets that guarded the facility were either offline or had been destroyed. Several dead bodies of guards laid on the rocky ground alongside infected combat forms. A bloody battle had happened here, but Locus noticed something odd. "These soldiers…they weren't retreating from the structure, they were going forward."

"Forward?" Buck asked noticing a line of dead soldiers leading into the darkness. "You don't think…"

"Lockhart is still alive, somehow. And we have little time to find him before this place blows up. Let's get to that structure." Korra said.

Locus led Osiris deep into the cavern, he knew the path well, so there were little detours. But the team held into their triggers tightly, there could anything hiding in the shadows that their VISRs and flashlights couldn't shine on.

Nevertheless, the made it. The entrance to the ancient Forerunner structure was the only light source within the dark and dank cavern. There were indeed more turrets and dead soldiers here. A higher volume. Korra approached the entrance, it seemed to had been meddled with, most likely the now dead rebels toying with things that weren't supposed to be played with.

Even though the blue and green lights of the Forerunner iconography that decorated the structure's walls, the metal hallways were still dark enough to excuse the use of flashlights. Korra could hear wails echoing throughout the structure's ventilation systems and cramp spaces. Reaching what seemed to be a pillar of sorts, a piston. "Touch it." Locus said.

Korra knew that human hands did the trick for Forerunner tech, the systems must've gone to shut down mode once the Flood was released. She placed her left hand on the blue hologram that decorated the piston. It instantly turned green and the piston released some steam and split open revealing another floor down. With little to no other options, Korra jumped down followed by her team and the mercenary.

An experimental room. Dark green and sickly chambers were the first thing that Korra noticed on the walls of the room. Some had been busted open, with green smoke coming out of them, it looked that it was cold since it froze the metal that it touched. Several strange devices and tables only added to the fact that the Forerunners used this place to study and contain the Flood much like the Halo installations. What was strange was that it had a lack of Sentinels guarding it. "Who messed with the obviously bad looking green pods here?" Buck asked the mercenary.

"I don't know, trooper." Locus dryly responded. "This occurred before Felix and I were hired."

"Where did the rebels find the portal device?" Korra asked.

"Somewhere, around here." Locus said looking around, he was disturbed with this place. Even if he was a hardened, stone-cold merc, this was something he had not been trained for, ever. The Flood had the tendency of making the toughest of men shake on their knees and piss their powered armored pants.

Then Korra remembered something, the Flood had been unleashed for quite a while now. It had been contained by the hasty defenses that the Innies were able to establish, but slowly the Flood had been acquiring bodies. "Another question…how many teams has Lockhart been sending in here?" She asked.

"Several." Locus answered. This made Korra realized something awful.

"Oh god no…alright, we might or might not be walking into the wolf's den here, guys." Korra told her team.

"What do you mean?" Tanaka asked.

"The innies had been sending people in here. And the Flood has been out of its cage for quite a long time….meaning that…it had enough time to gather mass…" Korra said, "We might be in the home of a Gravemind."

"What's a Gravemind?" Vale asked.

"A Gravemind is when the Flood end up amassing a whole lot of bodies in one place. The infection fuses them all together, and their memories, to form one big ugly motherfucker." Buck said, "But with the amount of things going on here…I don't think that the Flood here are that coordinated."

"I don't mean to break up tea time, but time's running out." Locus said. Korra nodded in agreement and took point as they advanced forward. Leaving the one of many research rooms, Osiris and merc entered a massive room that had multiple doors, and it was two-floored. Large Forerunner icons decorated the two far end doors, a red symbol and a blue one.

"Alright, which one do we take?" Korra asked the merc.

"Follow the blood trail." Locus answered. And indeed there was a blood trail leading towards one of the doors. It had ripped open…a clear good sign. Osiris approached it, Tanaka stuck her head out into the broken doorway. Some lights gave a faint sign that things had gone awry in there. There was a single dead rebel in the middle of the room. Like the outside, the room was two leveled and there was a massive broken observation glass room in the middle. There were spores floating around, giving the indication that experimentation happened in here. Vale, the fastest Spartan of the group, slowly entered. Her dark crimson armor moving swiftly through the poorly lighted room. She shook the dead soldier, and then flipped him over. To her dismay, in the middle of his chest was a bulging organism ripping through the corpse's innards. An infection form. It turned and jumped onto Vale, it exploded as soon as it made contact with her energy shields. But the popping sound alerted some of its…older brethren.

The high-pitched shrieks of the combat forms echoed loudly through the entire large room where Osiris was located in. The team took their combat positions. Korra looked at her ammo pouches…just one more magazine change was left. Her teammates weren't faring any better.

"We ain't staying here for the big fight. Everyone, run into one of the opened rooms, now! Run!" Korra barked.

Osiris and Locus quickly ran into the nearest accessible doors, it automatically opened allowing the Spartans to run into the other side. Welcomed by another testing chamber, this one was a literal warzone. This was where the bulk of Lockhart's guard had made their final stand. Fire and broken pieces of the structure only made Osiris's progress stagger. The shrieks only intensified as they neared the exit door. The other side was an elevator chamber. With no other exit, Korra began to look over the control panel of the lift.

Buck busted the door's controls as soon as it closed. "This won't hold them for long." Buck said as he joined his teammates and Locus aboard the lift.

"This thing only goes down." Korra said.

Locus walked towards it and activated the lift. Korra's helmet being reflected on Locus's gold visor. "Hesitation will kill you." He said as the lift began to descend into the darkness.

The lift stopped, there were flashing Forerunner glyphs on the single doorway that led out of the elevator room. Osiris and Locus stepped inside, they beheld onto an already activated portal device. Tubes protruding out of the walls fed the device power, the device looked even more scavenged than the one before it. It had been built quickly it seemed, but what took the Spartans by surprise were the massive tentacles coming out of the portal and its corrupting growths spreading over the cold white metal of the Forerunner masonry.

"We have twenty seconds left before detonation." Locus stated, "It's now or incineration."

Once again, with being stuck between a rock and a hard place, Korra looked at her teammates. They were as hesitant as she was, but the tough decisions were to fall on her…they always did. She was after all the Ava…no, she was now the Osiris-1, the leader of a highly trained black ops SPARTAN-IV experimental fireteam of supersoldiers. There was no room to hesitate…like the mercenary said. Decisions were to be made. And here, there was only one clear answer.

"Everyone, into the portal!" She ordered. Korra ran into the swirling blue portal with her team and Locus following behind.

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

Korra's armored boots landed on a fresh mud, she had her eyes tightly closed as she expected to be thrown into a void of space or be torn apart by the slipspace nature of the portal. She opened her eyes, she was met with a swamp forest…the dark dead trees and brown sky did not boost her confidence. Her teammates and the merc fell close by.

"Where are we?" Tanaka asked feeling woozy after taking a slipspace jump without the hull of a titanium-A armored starship between her and the madness that was slipstream space.

"I have no idea." Korra stated, "But we're still alive."

"The facility must've blown up." Locus said, "No way back."

The portal had violently closed as soon as they made it through the other side. Regaining their composures, Osiris surveyed the area. Believing to be one of the many swamps on Capella, Buck opened a comm link towards Control. "Osiris Actual, this is Osiris-4, do you copy?" Buck asked.

No response. Only static. Feeling a bit tired after all the running, Korra sat over one of the many dead trees and took off her helmet. Her chocolate colored hair had been cut to shoulder length, and her light brown skin of her face was smooth and clean. But around her azure eyes were tints of red, hints of sleepless nights and the witnesses of things that a girl of her age should have never seen…Korra was 21 now, her birthday had been last week. It would've flown over her head if it hadn't been for Buck showing up with a big cake the night before being tasked with this mission.

Korra placed her MJOLNIR-Aegis Mk. III helmet next to her. She sighed…finally having some sort of time to just gather her breath and to just think. She breathed the murky air of the swamp, it was rather odd to breathe air without the helmet's filtrations systems after a while. She looked at the sky, the dark brown clouds blocked out the sky. But she could see in between some of the clouds, the stars were out. It was still night. Apparently. She heard a crack. Korra turned her head around, she looked all of her surroundings. None of her teammates had heard it.

Korra stood back up, only having her sidearm drawn. She slowly walked towards the direction of the sound. She swallowed a gulp of saliva, even after all of her physical training and mental conditionings during training, this primordial fear hadn't escaped from her very essence. Korra cocked the pistol, and approached the dead tree. She prepared. But before she could maneuver around the dead husk, the creator of that sound slithered around her armored feet. It was a snake. But no snake she had ever seen before, it looked different. Korra knelt to take a look at it, it was small and didn't look threatening to her more imposing figure.

It glowed a bit, a light-orange aura resonating from it. And that's when Korra figured out that this weird snake was clearly not a natural animal from Capella. This was a spirit. And it was dying. She held it on her hands carefully, not wanting to hurt any more than it already was.  
"Hey little guy." Korra said to the small spirit in a soothing voice, a tone of voice that she hadn't use in a long time. The sound of her serene voice made the spirit light up a bit brighter.

"Its…its…you." The small spirit replied in a weak yet happy voice.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" Korra asked.

"It's…been…agony…ever since…Raava's disappearance. But you have…returned to us. Raava." The spirit coughed. Korra frowned and looked away from the spirit, she couldn't bear to tell it that she not the Avatar any longer. That whatever piece of Raava that remained in her was surrounded by the pushing weight of failure and defeat. She placed the small spirit on the ground.

"Then that means that…we are in the Spirit World. Why does it look that way?" Korra placed her sidearm to side of her right thigh, it stuck to the magnetic plates of her armor.

"The Great Beast…it has…begun to…consume this piece of our world. It has…killed most if not all of us…this swamp used to be…teeming with many spirits, both resident spirits and human ones." The spirit explained. "But it consumed them all."

"This…Great Beast…" Korra had an idea what it was. "Where is it?"

"In what used to be…Koh's tree." The spirit answered as its light began to faint. Korra noticed that the spirit couldn't last any longer.

"Don't worry, little guy. I'll fix this, I promise you." She said as the spirit began to disappear.

"Thank you…Raava." Was the last thing that the spirit said before it ceased to be. Korra felt an even greater feeling of remorse and guilt running down her soul. Korra stood up, she cleaned the mud off her kneepads and walked towards her teammates who hadn't noticed her chat with the spirit.

"I got good news and bad news." Korra told them as she placed her helmet back on.

"Alright, bad news first." Buck wanted to get it out of the way.

"We're in the Spirit World." Korra responded.

"We're in the what?!" Vale and Tanaka yelled in unison.

"I can…feel the spiritual energies around us right now." Korra lied, "So, you guys want to hear the good news?"

"Hold on." Locus interrupted, "Look." The mercenary pointed towards the deep swamp, it was dark…but there was a small light flickering in it.

"I'm not getting a reading here…not even a bug." Tanaka scanned it with her VISR. Already ahead of them, Korra slowly walked towards the light.

"Korra?" Buck called her. "What are you doing?"

But she didn't respond, instead she kept walking towards the small light. Beneath her visor, Korra's eyes widened at the possibility. Slowly she outstretched her right arm in the light's direction… "Raava…" She softly said as she approached to the light. But then someone stooped her.

"Korra! Snap out of it!" Buck shook her into reason again. Korra felt a bit dazed, something had begun to affect her.

"Sorry…something came over me. I…" A slight migraine raided across her head, still she looked at the light. It was close to them. Korra aimed her pistol at it and shot one bullet. The round flew pass it, not even acknowledging it at all.

"I don't think you should get close to it." Locus said as the rest of the team catch up to Korra and Buck.

"We don't have any other way out of this place. I know the Spirit World better than anyone, so you will have to follow my lead." Korra responded. She extended her arm towards the light and when her finger touched it a small surge of electricity rushed through her arm, draining her energy shields in the process. "Ouch!"

"What was it?" Buck quickly asked.

"It felt…odd." Korra replied, her shields recharging. But when she turned to look at the light again, it began to move deeper into the dark swamp. "Come on."

Korra and the others walked into the swamp, getting lost in the darkness.


	6. The Devil His Due

**The Spirit World**

 **Koh's Domain**

Fireteam Osiris and the mercenary known as Locus walked through the dense swamp within the confines of the alien realm called the Spirit World by the people of Requiem. Although completely alien to most of the SPARTANs here, physically this place didn't seem to be completely different from Capella's forests albeit the brownish coloration of the plant life. "This place looks like its rotting." Tanaka said. Indeed. The swamp gave that look, it probably would also give the odor of dead corpses and feces, but luckily for our heroes they wore helmets with air filtration systems. Korra did notice that the Spirit World had changed a lot since her last visit to it, at least part of the dimension.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Buck said as the team came to a clearing. Upon exiting the dense swamp forest, Korra saw a mountain in front of them. But then she saw that the mountain was made of… "Holy shit…" Buck perfectly summarized Korra's thoughts.

The mountain was made completely off corpses…human and animal corpses. The bodies at the bottom seemed to merge with the dead ground and a top of the mountain of death sat a single monstrous tree whose roots were fleshy and connected into the mountain. Vale took out her helmet and began to vomit at the sight of the death that they just witnessed. The smell invaded her nostrils…which didn't help. Tanaka went to her assistance. "I'm a soldier." Locus walked towards Korra. "I'm not a butcher. Whatever rests here, is a demon. We must get out of here."

Ignoring Locus's words, Korra walked towards one of the dead, a man. She grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head to see his face. "No face." Korra said upon gazing at the dead man's faceless head. "Just a blank."

"What the hell does that mean?" Buck asked.

"This means that we are in Koh's domain. Koh is a spirit, an ancient one, who steals the faces of people upon the single sight of emotion. But this isn't his work…well at least this…mountain of dead bodies isn't." Korra explained, "This doesn't make sense. Something's wrong here. Everything's wrong."

"There's something you're not telling us." Locus deduced. "Aren't you these Spartans' leader?"

Korra sighed, "When we got here I was able to communicate with a spirit. It was dying. It told me that recently something had invaded this part of the Spirit World, corrupted it beyond believe. Began to feed off the spirits and human souls alike. Apparently animal spirits too."

"Are there no predatory-like spirits that could've done this? Like a big spirit vulture?" Buck asked, Tanaka and a now more stable Vale joined them.

"No…this isn't something a spirit animal would do. This is…evil." Korra stated looking at the tree on top of the mountain of carnage. "And I think that our only way out of this place, is through there."

Korra pointed at the tree.

"Explain." Locus dryly said.

"The tree looks a lot like the Tree of Time albeit a bit…dead." Korra replied, "And besides, I don't think that the thing that has place taken over would gladly let us leave."

Tanaka who stood behind Buck, noticed blips in her motion tracker. Hostile red blips. "Uh guys…" Tanaka turned around looking back at the dark swamp. "We have company!"

Dark spirits came out of the bushes and foliage, their dark purple twisted shapes brought a terrible sense of fear down Korra's spine. 'How…' Korra thought, 'This can't be happening…I stopped him…no…' But her thoughts were interrupted by assault rifle fire. The rest of Osiris began to fire their weapons at the incoming dark spirits, the bullets ripping them to shreds but they didn't seem to affect them one bit. And to top it off, the Spartans were running low on ammo.

"Everyone, climb!" Korra ordered. Thanks to her enhancements and the armor, Korra jumped highly onto the death mountain. Her titanium boots stepping and breaking skulls and bones as she pulled her body upwards. The rest of the team followed. Korra looked down, behind her teammates were the spirits…who stopped following them as soon as they touched the mountain. Odd. "Keep climbing!"

As she climbed, Korra's hand touched something metallic. She pulled on it and from within the bodies she pulled out a UNSC Marine standard issued helmet. There was red paint on it, with the symbol of the Insurrection sketched into it. "Huh…" Korra's brows furrowed as thoughts rushed within her head. She kept climbing up until she and the others reached the top.

"Watch your feet." Buck told the others as the ground…or bodies, were less than stable to walk on. By just the sheer weight of them and their armors could cause them to plummet down into the corpses…but then again, there was a gigantic tree here too.

Walking towards the tree's entrance…a hole in the middle of the tree, Korra saw only darkness within it.

Now standing just outside, the team tried to use their armor's scanners to see what lied within the tree. Nothing, the scans said. "I'm going inside." Korra said.

"We got you back." Vale responded.

"No."

"What?" Buck confusedly asked.

"Keep this area secured, if this is anything like the Tree of Time then I'm the only one that can do anything about this…problem." Korra said jumping into the tree without a second of doubt.

* * *

Confronted by the innards of the tree, Korra could see that this tree was much larger than the Tree of Time. She activated her VISR and walked into what seemed to be another, much larger, area within the dead tree. Here, the light from the outside was barely noticeable, making this part of the tree much darker. But then, Korra heard squish sounds coming from the floor as she entered the larger room. She looked down… "Oh no…" Korra saw that she on top of infected flesh.

" **Welcome, human.** " The sounds of an approaching insect could be heard from the darkness, the sounds of one thousand steps. Korra was surrounded by a gigantic centipede, it coiled around her, blocking her exit. " **Oh it is you, the prodigal child. It was an inevitability.** "

Koh revealed himself to Korra, but this wasn't that same Koh that Aang described in his memoirs. The carapace of his body, in some areas, had been ripped out or fallen into rot, and his insect flesh was hanging out of it. Tentacles and growths decorated his body all around, this wasn't right. "A little bird told me that something wrong has occurred." Korra said, with the utmost monotone voice possible. Trying to not let any emotion escape. Koh could see through her helmeted face.

" **Do you not like my…redecorations? I've worked hard in obtaining these many bodies. But then again, it pales in comparison to Mount Erebus.** " Koh said as his 'face' changed through several captured ones.

"Mount Erebus? Explain, Koh. Then you will return this area to what it used to be." Korra demanded in her monotone voice.

" **Why should I ever listen to you? You are no Avatar, you are just a girl in a metal coffin. And for your other question, the glorious new mount belongs to my sibling. We great spirits are all related, all sons and daughters of the ancient ones, but this brother of mine is the bringer of hope for a doomed race, young one. And he has brought us the gift of unity.** "

"Unity…" Korra began to remember what this meant. "Vaatu…"

" **Vaatu? Oh dearie no, brother Vaatu is not coming back anytime soon. How if I show you instead? After all, we are always welcoming of you…sister.** "

The floor beneath Korra's feet began to give in as the flesh faded into blackness. Korra screamed as she fell into darkness and felt that her entire body was being torn to pieces. Her shields popped and her armor began to be dented, she could feel it even on her skin. The pain. The horror, as eyes in the darkness began to surround her as she fell. This was the Spirit World, home to the unthinkable, the unimaginable, and the surreal.

* * *

Outside the tree, Osiris felt a shake on the mountain. The tree closed, and the sky turned black. On each of their HUDs, Korra's signal went crazy. Her distance from them expanded from feet into miles all of the sudden. "Um, wasn't Korra inside the tree?" Tanaka asked.

"I think we shall get off here first." Buck said. Dark spirits began to materialize in front of them, their bright yellow eyes fixed on the Spartans. "Let's make like a banana and split, people!"


	7. Light Inside

**The Spirit World**

* * *

 **Mount Erebus**

Korra awoke in complete darkness, she could that she was under something…something squishy. She pushed whatever there was on top of her out of the way… The sight of fleshy growths hitting the stone ground always made the Osiris leader puke within her helmet. She stood up and jumped off the small hill of flesh and onto the stone. She looked around, this seemed to be a castle-like area but without a roof. Korra looked for her weapons…they were gone. "Damn." She murmured to herself. This part of the Spirit World was worse than Koh's Domain, the skies were blood red in color with some brown clouds swirling around the star that shined above.

This nightmarish realm struck Korra in the core, this dimension of tranquility had been turned into the stuff of terror. Korra walked towards a nearby metal gate, and opened it by simply pushing it. On the other side waited several dark spirits, they immediately spotted her. The arena looked like a mausoleum with tendrils and growths growing from the stonework…Korra dodged her way towards what looked like a great staircase leading down deeper into this place. The spirits followed her, lunging at the Spartan repeatedly. Without her weapons, facing these things in hand to hand combat would be suicide. Even with her great strength it would be like hitting jelly.

Arriving to the bottom, there was another great door that led to another area. Korra quickly opened it, jumped inside, and closed it before the dark spirits could get in. In front of her laid her weapons on top of the stony floor. This place looked derelict and abandoned…there weren't growths like on the upper floor but this area still made Korra feel uneasy. She grabbed the battle rifle and magnum. She placed the magnum to her side and checked the battle rifle for ammo.

Full clip. Enough ammo to at least find a way out of this place. Korra walked towards what seem to be a gigantic statue of a spirit. Looked like it was half-man and half-lemur. Odd. Nevertheless, she walked towards the wooden door behind the statue. It opened, it led towards a garden. All of the shrubs and trees and grass were dead…the pond in the middle of the garden was murky brown with sickening bubbles popping on its top.

Ignoring this, Korra approached what seemed to be the exit, another metallic door. There was a switch nearby, she flipped it making the metal door open with a loud screeching sound.

" **You are leaving?** " Korra heard a voice calling out to her. She turned around to see three human Flood combat forms. The former rebels turned into the mindless pawns of the compound intelligence. They stood in the sickish pond. " **There is no exit from my palace of pain.** "

"You're one of the Graveminds…how the hell did you get into the Spirit World?!" Korra asked.

" **We are native to this realm. The home of the spirits was once our home as well. Eons ago.** " The compound intelligence replied. The metal gate sealed again prompting Korra to aim her battle rifle at the combat forms. " **The great wheels of fate are moving. The great test approaches. The question is, are you prepared?** "

"What are you talking about?"

" **We have been informed of the current happenings since our eyes and ears were silenced aboard the Didact's ship. The one known as Lockhart fed us this information after he became part of us.** " A great tentacle ripped from the dead soil revealing the body of the former insurrectionist leader fused to it. He looked to be dead…

"At least one of the objectives is kinda…accomplished. Still, you can't hope to win, parasite. The Spirit World is also part of who I am!" Korra responded.

" **Of who you were…Raava lies dormant within your flesh shell. You have forsaken her and your spiritual self for the metal casket that you wear. Nerve and machine have replaced flesh and faith. You are of no threat to us. But we long to reunite with our sister.** " The compound intelligence said as the combat forms leaped to attack Korra.

She fired her battle rifle at her attackers, the bullets ripping through decayed flesh and rusted armor. Relentlessly the combat forms followed the Spartan as she rolled and dodged their tentacles. Korra grabbed one and threw it onto a stone wall, while the other one tried to attack her from behind. A slash broke her energy shields making Korra fall on her knees from the surprise hit. She quickly turned around and shot at her attacked with a three shot burst of the battle rifle hitting right in the infection form's cradle killing the combat form instantly. The other combat form came running towards Korra but she punched it hard enough to rip it in half.

"Hold on…there were three of them." Korra realized. The third combat form jumped from one of the many dead trees on top of Korra. In one hit, the combat formed Korra's helmet off her head breaking it. Korra felt that the entire right area of her face burned from the hit. She shot her weapon, the bullets hitting the combat forms directly ending it. Her shields flickered as they struggled to recharge. She wasn't feeling well…Korra breathed in and out. The air was heavy and nasty. She could feel her lungs aching from inhaling the hazardous air particles, luckily her internal organs were tougher than those of regular humans so she could take the punishment for an extended limited amount of time.

She walked towards her broken helmet…the right section of the helm had been dented inwards and the visor had shattered into pieces. Korra sighed. Her radio was busted along with her recovery signal. No way she could contact her teammates now. She returned to the metal gate exit and kicked it. The metal dented and began to give in with each consecutive kick until it finally fell onto the ground. Beyond this point was yet another forest…Korra checked her ammo reserves…still enough. Walking into the forest she tried to pinpoint her location. Apparently she had been teleported from Koh's tree to this place. But how? She knew that the Spirit World didn't really operate in the same way that the physical world did but there had to be a way back. Perhaps in the same manner she arrived here in the first place.

The Gravemind owned this sector of the reality that was for sure…everything was corrupted here but he couldn't take all of it. His influence only reached so far into Koh's domain and then halted there. As if the Spirit World resisted his terrible influence. Interesting. Then a thought came into Korra's mind, there is someone that could help her. Iroh. But first she had to find him…he is obviously beyond the corrupted fields of the Gravemind in the still ordered Spirit World.

Korra slid down a small muddy incline into a small creek area. Skeletons of dead spirit animals and humans laid covered in mud and bugs. The smell invaded her nostrils and made Korra cringe in disgust. She looked around for a possible direction out of the forest. She could be walking in circles.

Her stomach gargled and her body demanded water…Korra was exhausted. Another sleepless night all right. Classic. Korra had been trained to last through these kind of situations, no food nor water. She couldn't drink the water and there were no animals to hunt. Just death all around. As she walked she began to rub her tired eyes…but when she did she heard the sound of cracking tree branches. She turned and aimed her weapon at the ready. A small figure ran pass her… "What?!" She was taken by surprise, but Korra followed the figure.

She followed it towards one of the bigger dead trees. The figure stood there motionless. Korra was still aiming her gun at it. Korra recognized it… "No way." She said. It was Mako in full ODST armor. "Mako? Is that you?"

"Korra…why did you leave us?" 'Mako' said as he turned around. He had a massive hole in his chest armor…plasma injury. Korra could easily see his rib cage and organs…burned by plasma weaponry.

"No!" Korra backed away and ran into the deep forest. "This isn't…"

She rubbed her eyes again. "I'm seeing things…I'm in the Spirit World…" Korra whispered to herself. She took another breath of air in and out, Korra looked at the ground. A small bit of water reflected her visage…the image of a worn out young woman in the boots of a super soldier…she furrowed her eye brows. This wasn't who she was…she was the Avatar. An ambassador for humankind and spiritkind…a protector…and a leader. Not some tool for a secret government that played god with the galaxy. This isn't who she is. She stood back up and walked back into where the illusion of Mako was at. There was nothing here…except for an ODST helmet that laid on the dead ground.

"I'm sorry that I left you…" Korra said grabbing the helmet. Her face being reflected by the blue visor. "I'm sorry that I left everyone…for…I…I just thought that I could make more of a difference…without being…" Tears began to roll down from Korra's eyes. "…without being stuck in a wheelchair. Seeing everyone changing the world without me…feeling useless…feeling as if the world didn't need me anymore."

"This isn't what I thought it would be…this isn't what was supposed to happen. I just wanted…to change the world. To leave…my mark." Korra said in between sobs. She hugged the helmet and held it for quite a time before putting it back on the ground. Remembering what she had been taught in training there was a saying that the people of Earth recited to ease their guilt. Sometimes they said to another person, notably a person with a title or position of trust. She sighed. "Forgive me…lord, for I have sinned." She said. Korra smirked at the idea and cleaned the tears from her cheeks.

Korra turned back and returned to her mission…to find a way back home. The Spirit World was devious place as well as a paradise, it could turn dreams true…but it could also make nightmares physical too. Korra must stay focus in her objective, she needed to be with her team. Her walk turned into a jog as she passed by trees and the like. Her jog turned into a sprint. She needed to focus her will into this one thing…to turn this place of darkness into one of light. Korra closed her eyes and went back to a time where things were simpler. She remembered what she had learned from Iroh. "I have light and peace…" Korra said as she ran. "Light and peace…"

* * *

"I am not afraid." Korra opened her eyes and began to see the reality around her shift. "I still have light inside." The dead trees began to be replaced by living ones, the sky was blue and the fields were green. Korra stopped to catch her breath…she looked around. She smiled. "The Spirit World, its back to normal."

The sun shone over her grey armor, she could feel its warmth and soothing feeling. Korra's body felt better as she placed her rifle on her back and walked out of the forest into a clearing. Korra sat on the grass and laid on the ground. Rest. Finally, some rest.

Then a shadow blocked the sun's warmth… "Want a drink?"

Korra saw who it was, "Aang?"

"Hello Korra, long time no see."

Korra sat back up and took the glass of juice that the former Avatar, Aang, offered her. She drank it as fast as she could. Aang sat in front of her. "I see that some things have changed." Aang said.

"I thought that…" Korra said after giving Aang the glass back.

"What Vaatu did severed your connection to the Avatar Spirit, it did not make us cease to exist." Aang replied, "In the Spirit World, the spirits of both nature and humans live in harmony and apart of the material world. Unfortunately, after your fight against the dark spirits, your past lives have been blocked off from watching you progress."

"Aang…I've ruined it. I fought against the Didact for a second time. I was poisoned and my body was dying. I was barely saved but my connection to Raava and half of my own body was cut off. I couldn't move, I couldn't talk to Raava. I was alone while everyone else did my job for me. After I kept the spirit portals open, the Air Nation was reborn! Lots of people who were non-benders before now had airbending and were taken in by Tenzin. Kuvira, Suyin's captain of the guard, began to gather what was left of the Earth Kingdom back together. The new airbenders were keeping peace. Mako and the others did all they could to bring balance…while I laid on my bed powerless to do anything." Korra explained.

"Korra…"

"And then one day two men in black arrived to my house in the South Pole, they gave me a proposition. That they could give me a chance to help the UNSC change and lead humanity. I had to become something beyond my physical limits…something more than just human. I took it. I was tired and angry at not only at what everyone could do without me but at myself too. At miserable self." Korra said in frustration as her hand turned into a fist. "This is what I am…look at me. I'm a monster."

Aang smiled and placed his hand on Korra's hand. "You're not a monster Korra. Sometimes life tends to guide us into unexpected paths. The universe is sometimes a cruel mistress. But as people we must learn to move with it, to move with the punches and thus become better individuals and society. What you did wasn't a mistake, at what seemed to be a situation that was dark you looked for the light. You didn't join them for your own sake in reality, you did it to protect those who you love even if you don't realize it. You are the Avatar, Korra, it is in your very being to look for the well-being of all living beings even if it means you to sacrifice yourself. Service and sacrifice. At task that all Avatars must take at any given time. You have been given great power, Korra, in the dark of your loss of Raava, the light you have still shines. It's time for you to guide it." Aang stood up, he smiled at Korra as she also stood up.

"Thanks Aang." Korra hugged her past self.

"And besides, you look really cool in that armor." Aang said as he walked to the horizon.

Korra turned towards the forest once again. "Time to look for my friends." She stepped into it, vanishing into the unknown again.


	8. Tower of Babel

**The Spirit World**

* * *

 **Mount Erebus**

Korra found herself back into the terrible mountain of despair, this time armed with newfound determination. She looked through the decaying forest for signs of her friends. Even though they had been left at Koh's realm, this two places were connected to each other somehow. There had to be a chance for them to had stepped close to this mountain. Korra didn't have her helmet thus using VISR was out of the question, she had to use old fashioned tracking techniques. She looked at every tree and tree branch…footsteps in the mud and disturbed areas.

Until she found something. A footstep. It was large enough to have come from a metal boot. Korra looked at the direction that the footsteps headed towards… "The palace." Korra said.

* * *

Meanwhilte, Fireteam Osiris found themselves looking at an immense metal gate. The steel was starting to rust and the stone walls seemed to be ancient. The team's armors had taken a beating, missing pieces of armor plate and such. Buck's helmet visor had been cracked and his chest piece broken in half. Vale's entire right arm armor was missing and she walked on a limp. Tanaka had her left arm broken in a fight and was holding onto a magnum. Locus was the most stable of the group, but he had been wounded as well, blood dripped from exposed areas of his armor.

"Where the hell are we?" Buck asked as he looked around. "We've ran for hours just to get stuck again?"

Tanaka looked at what they had in front of them, "This place looks like a castle." She stated, barely seeing what was on the other side of the wall.

"Look for a way to open this gate. They're coming." Locus stated. Vale activated her VISR to search for anything out of the ordinary on the wall. Her VISR highlighted a small bump to the right of the metal gate. She walked towards it and examined it.

"Hmm…" She placed her hand on it and pushed the small rocky bump. The entire wall began to shake as the gate began to open.

"Let's get inside." Buck said as they ran into what seemed to be a courtyard. The gate closed behind them. "Whoa…"

What they saw was nothing they had ever seen before. Hundreds of dark spirits in the distance working on what seemed to be a palace. They were adding floors to it, making it taller and taller and taller. Almost tower-like.

The shrieks of incoming dark spirits took them out of their awed expressions. They began to hit the wall and jump over it. The Spartans were nearly out of ammo so instead of wasting what they had left, they instead ran towards the towering behemoth of a castle that was in front of them. As they ran, Buck began to notice that this place was as corrupted as the rest of the Spirit World. This place was nothing but hell itself. Reaching a wooden gate that let inside the tower, Tanaka rammed her shoulder onto the wooden construction. But to no avail, she simply bounced back. "What the hell?!" She exclaimed.

"This isn't ordinary wood!" Vale yelled. They turned to see the dark spirits gaining onto them. They prepared for the worse, that's when the wooden gate opened. Noticing this, the team ran inside and the gate closed.

"Just in the nick of time." Buck said. They were now inside an immense room, that looked like something out of a gothic cathedral. "Well this place is sure welcoming."

The room was dark, the few long tables that were there were full of disgusting pools of brown liquid and bones. Locus began to think deeply, something was wrong here. "I don't like the look of this." He said.

"Yeah, this place is pretty disturbing." Buck replied.

"No you idiot, we are walking straight into a trap." Locus said.

"What do you mean?" Vale asked.

"Don't you see? This entire place is guarded by dark spirits; we shouldn't have been able to evade them so easily like this. Even this gate opened for us." Locus explained. "We should've been dead long before entering that courtyard."

A state of shock fell on the team; the mercenary was right. "Then we're surrounded. The only way out of here is through this place." Tanaka stated. "We're getting back home one way or another, and find Korra as well."

"We've been through this, she's dead." Locus said.

"And we've told you that out of everyone alive in the universe, she is the best person to survive in the Spirit World." Vale intercepted. "If anything, she might be looking for us."

A loud scream of pain echoed through the room taking the team by surprise. "Now that I don't like one bit." Buck said.

"What is this, some sort of torture mansion?" Vale asked.

The team slowly walked through a large doorway to an adjacent room…it was dark with little light being provided by the small holes in the walls. That's when they saw, with their VISRs, that this place was beyond out of the ordinary. On the far wall, there was scarring fleshy growth whose tentacles reached out throughout the room taking root into the walls, floor and ceiling. In the center of the fleshy growth were the remains of rebel colonel, Lockhart.

"Well… shit." Buck said.

Tanaka and Vale ran towards him, looking at the disturbing sight before them. "The Flood…" Vale said. "It's here."

"Seems like I won't be receiving my check." Locus dryly stated. "There are no stairs down, we have to go upstairs."

"And once we do that?" Tanaka asked.

"I don't know, but it's the best option we have." Locus responded.

* * *

Korra reached the outer wall of the palace. This was a different entrance from the one she had been at before. The gate opened letting her inside. She knew that the Gravemind was watching her every move…this was its home field. If she wanted to defeat it and save her friends she would need to bring this place down on top of it. Korra looked at the immensely tall tower being constructed. It was being aimed into the clouds above…. "What are you planning…?" Korra whispered.

Osiris reached the second floor, it was similar to the first one. But here there were even more long tables…but what took them by surprise were the piling of bodies. Rebel soldiers at every corner of the gothic room. Infection forms rifling through them looking for the perfect host body.

"Shh…we're in their nest. We have to reach the other side of this room to get to the third floor." Locus pointed towards the direction of the exit. The team crouched into the room, noticing that the infection forms were ignoring them as they gored through bodies and ripped through metal armors.

That is when from the shadows a hulking monstrosity fell in front of them, swinging its long arms around trying to swipe the members of Fireteam Osiris away. They quickly dodged this attack and regained their footing. "Pure forms!" Buck yelled. A pure Flood Tank form had been their ambusher, behind it several more Stalker Flood forms fell out of the dark ceiling. "Open fire!" Buck ordered.

The team fired their weapons at the pure forms which began to run towards them. The herculean Tank form swung its great arms at Locus, hitting the mercenary hard. He flew several meters away, his shields taking most of the damage. Tanaka fired her magnum at the Tank form, but the pure form just ignored the bullets as it charged towards her. Tanaka rolled out of the way.

The Stalkers jumped around from floor to ceiling not giving Buck and Vale a clear shot. "Time your shots, Olympia!" Buck yelled. Vale followed the Stalkers' movement as they got closer. Those large pincers of theirs could cleave through titanium like a hot knife through butter. So it was this or nothing. As one fell from the ceiling into the floor, Vale fired her gun at it. The hot bolt of plasma flew through the air hitting the pure form directly. The plasma bolt from Vale's plasma pistol began to burn away the Stalker's putrefied flesh and it began to shriek in pain as it died.

The other one seeing that its kin was dead, charged towards Buck. It pinned the grizzled former ODST into the ground, trying to decapitate him with its pincers. But Vale quickly went to her teammate's aid and kicked the Stalker off him. Buck unleashed the clip of his assault rifle unto the creature. The full metal jacket rounds cleaved through the Stalker's frail body killing it. Two down, one to go.

Locus and Tanaka dodged the attacks of the Tank form, it yelled in anger as the Spartans were more elusive than mice. Locus reloaded his battle rifle, and fired at the monsters while rolling out of its attacks. The higher caliber bullets were able to damage the beast, but not a rate that would be sufficient in taking it down. That is, until Vale charged her plasma pistol and fired a super-charged plasma bolt at the monster. The superhot bolt of overcharged plasma ate through the Tank's back giving Locus the chance to fire his weapon at the Tank form's weak spot…its face. The area where it's 'face' was, three perturbing sensory tentacles. The shots blew up them up killing the goliath instantly.

"Great job team." Buck congratulated his teammates.

"No time for that, Trooper. Look! The infection forms are reanimating the dead soldiers into combat forms. Let's move!" Locus said. Osiris quickly made a run towards the exit not wanting to be surrounded by the more numerous combat forms and with little ammo to top it off.

* * *

Korra was in the second floor now, walking through an empty room. There were the bodies of several pure forms on the ground, surrounded by pools of reddish green blood. The smell made Korra sick to her stomach. Her team had gone through her most definitely, they were going up. Walking the stairs up to the third floor, Korra noticed that this tower would most likely take too long to scale upwards. From the way the dark spirits were going through the construction, there had to be at least 40 floors already done.

That is when she saw a crashed Falcon…it had crashed landed into the wall. Recently too. Korra went to see if the pilot was still alive. She opened the cockpit…it was empty. Korra thought that the fates had smiled upon her and had given her a way out of this mess. Korra jumped inside the Falcon's cockpit and turned the aircraft on. It worked! "Time to find you guys." She said.

Commanding the aircraft out of the hole it had made, Korra flew upwards. Passing floor by floor, the entire tower was being held together by Flood biomass. It began to become more noticeable as Korra flew upwards and upwards into the apex of the tower.

* * *

Osiris ran for their lives; it had been over two hours since they had reached this location. And now they were being chased by hundreds of Flood combat forms and dark spirits. They were out of ammo and had no hopes in beating all of those hostiles with their own hands. They were almost to the last floor…at least the last one constructed.

Reaching the 39th floor, Osiris closed the last gate behind them hoping to at least buy themselves some time to find a way out. The 40th floor was directly above them; it was still unfinished. It had no ceiling and the dark sky was visible above them. Walking up towards the final floor, the team saw that there was one of those portal devices built here. Similar to the one that Lockhard had ordered to be built in the rebel base. It was inactive though and there was only one power battery connected to it…most likely stolen by the Flood before the last portal exploded when the base self-destructed.

"A portal! We might have a ticket out of here after all." Buck rushed towards the controls of the portal, beginning it's starting sequence. The power battery came online.

" **Tombstones begin to move, the soil opens and the tomb asks to be full. Your destiny awaits.** " The Gravemind taunted the members of Osiris as the gate in the 39th floor gave in to the sheer number of combat forms had piled over it.

"Buck!" Tanaka yelled at Buck as the portal began to open a way back to Capella.

"It's almost ready! We only have one shot!" Buck responded as the Flood ran up towards them.

Locus grunted as the end approached, the shrieks and wails of the damned spelled his death. And he wouldn't be able to strangle Felix before it. That is when the sounds of a chopper overwhelmed the screams of the Flood. A Falcon rose up from out of nowhere behind Osiris.

"A Falcon!? What the hell?!" Buck yelled.

"Where did it come from?!" Tanaka added.

"Look at who's driving it! Korra!" Vale said seeing Korra in the pilot's seat of the Falcon. Korra saw the incoming wave of Flood running towards her friends. With only two missiles ready to be fired at the monsters, Korra fired them at the both the hostiles and unto the long stairs that led them up. The entire tower shook from the explosion. Korra piloted her Falcon near the others and landed it in front of the portal.

Korra jumped out of the cockpit, she was immediately hugged by her teammates. "Whoa there I was only gone for like four hours." Korra said smiling.

"We were dead worried!" Vale responded ruffling Korra's hair.

"Hey, I'm still your squad leader." Korra reminded her in a joking way. "I see that merc boy is still with you guys."

"I've been the one keeping these rag tag group together." Locus responded, "But good to see that you aren't one of those poor souls."

"Let's get into the portal and get out of here." Korra said.

"Wait, to ensure that they don't follow us…" Buck placed his last remaining grenade into the control panel for the portal. "Now let's jump!"

As they prepared to jump into the portal, time froze for Korra….

" **You believe that you head towards safety, but it is merely a small gesture granted by us. Know that once you arrive on the other side, to the world known as Capella, that you will not be met by a singing chorus of angels. But the laughter of the purified. The destruction of this tower, my Tower of Babel was part of our plan, a monument to your seems was part of our plan. For this has made you lose precious time. Time that you could've used to save all of those innocents in Capella. The decision that comes forth will be mark you not as a conquering hero...no, but as an icon of sin.** " The Gravemind said to Korra, it laughed victoriously. Time resumed and the team jumped into the portal.


	9. Icon of Sin

**Capella**

 **Jungle**

 **6:40 AM (Planetary Local Time)**

Korra and her team, Fireteam Osiris, were dropped into their previous location…where the NCA facility used to be located. Korra felt as if her entire body had been vaporized and then willed back to existence, a shock ran down from the base of her head down her spine…sending pulses throughout her augmented body. She stood up, seeing grass between her armored fingers, "We did it…!" Korra began to celebrate.

"So much for a clean op." Buck said as he stood over the immense crater that was near them. "Nothing remains of this place, that's for sure. Must've alerted the whole damn planet after it went boom."

"There aren't any rescue teams around though." Tanaka said.

"We better contact Control and order an extraction." Korra stated, "Vale, does your helmet's radio still work?"

"Yeah." Vale replied.

"Get in contact with Thorne, time to get back home." Korra ordered. Vale turned on her helmet's long distance radio and sent out a signal to Osiris Actual.

Buck walked next to Korra and took off his helmet, his grizzled look spoke volumes of what this veteran had witnessed over two decades of fighting an interstellar war. He breathed in the fresh early morning air and smirked, "Not bad, kid. Not bad at all." He complemented Korra, the elder Spartan wrapped his arm around Korra's head in a brotherly way.

"It was tough, but we got out safely and saved the galaxy!" Korra smiled, "Imma sleep for a whole week once we get back to the Ultimus."

"Um…guys, we may have a problem." Vale said taking the team out of their cheerful victory.

"What is it?" Korra asked.

"Follow me." Vale responded. The team followed her through the dense forest, Locus lagged behind assessing the situation at hand. He was working with UNSC special operatives; they could turn on him at any moment now that they had completed their objective. And Felix was still nowhere to be seen. Once Locus lays an eye on him he will strangle the bastard.

Arriving to a clearing, the very sight that Korra feared deep within her mind appeared before their very eyes. In the horizon, towards where the city of New Kiev was, a gigantic cloud of green mist surrounded it. Several ships could be seen flying above the city, support vessels trying to escape the planet but they were being shot down. A bit beyond the city, closer to their position, were the sounds of battle…as the trees and animals were being brought down by chilling shrieks.

"You've got to be kidding me." Buck said.

"No…no way! We destroyed the base! They couldn't have gotten out!" Korra yelled.

Locus walked from behind them. "Several of them must've escaped before the base self-destructed and assaulted New Kiev and the surrounding areas."

"We were gone for several hours…" Tanaka added

Korra was in complete dismay, this is exactly what she didn't want to happen. This is what she had been fighting to prevent. "Buck, give me your helmet."

"Here."

Korra put on Buck's helmet and turned on the radio, "Thorne! Thorne, can you hear me?!" Korra yelled.

"I got you, Korra! Everything's gone to hell here! We have to get out of here now!" Throne responded.

"What's going on? Give me a planetary sitrep!" She ordered.

"They're everywhere! In just a couple of hours they have spread all over! Spores all over populated areas!" Thorne informed her.

"Call the UNSC Ultimus, it's still close to the system. When you're done meet us with the pelican at New Kiev. We'll have an LZ in thirty minutes, stand by." Korra went into military mode.

"Understood." Thorne acknowledged. Korra took off the helmet and gave it back to Buck.

"What's the plan?" Tanaka asked.

Korra sighed, "We're going into the city, find an LZ for Thorne's pelican to pick us up for extraction. Let's go." She answered.

As they moved forward towards the infested city, Korra began to dwell into her thoughts. She felt the weight of responsibility fall on her, the fact that this could be her fault began to eat her from within. An entire world was dying because of her, and all she could do now…was escape. She couldn't evac survivors, because of not only of the possibility of them being infected by the Flood, but because no one can know that they were here. On this rebel world…with innocents dying because of this operation. Because of her being fast enough to stop Lockhart…in the eyes of these people, if they knew that she was the one responsible for this they would see her as an icon…of sin.

* * *

 **UNSC Ultimus**

The UNSC Ultimus, one of ONI's many elite prowlers, orbited near the Alpha Aurigae star system. The commander of the vessel, Captain Adam Santana, sat on his captain's chair in the bridge. Around him several naval personnel were catching signals of terror coming from Capella. They were trying to figure out what was going on, until one of them got to them. It was from Fireteam Osiris's Control. Osiris Actual. Spartan Gabriel Thorne.

"Sir, we have a hail from Spartan Throne." One of the communications officers informed the captain.

"Connect it through." Captain Santana said. There was no video feed, just audio. The sounds of screams and explosions and fighting could be heard in the background. "Spartan Thorne, what is going on?" The Spaniard accent of the captain was thick and signaled Thorne to quickly respond to the officer.

"Sir, the rebels…the rebels have released the parasite…the Flood all across the planet! Communications were down in the first hours of the pandemic but I was able to contact the team after the blackout! We need extraction! I repeat we need to get out of here!" Throne informed.

Santana grunted in not only frustration in a possible mission failure but in the fact that the rebels were evil enough to release a weapon of mass destruction on their own people. "Those bastards…" He said. "Don't worry, Spartan. We are on our way."

Communications ceased.

"Nav, take us to Capella." Capt. Santana ordered.

"But sir, the parasite could…" The navigation officer showed apprehension in knowing that they would be near an infected planet.

"Now, officer!"

"Aye aye sir!"

* * *

 **Planet Capella**

 **New Kiev**

 **7:10 AM**

The team reached the city, they cruised between streets avoiding the chaos of law enforcement and military back up of New Kiev getting annihilated by the deformed and infected populace of the city. Korra didn't have a helmet, so she was exposed to the disgusting air of the city. Fires and panic engulfed the city with black smoke engulfing open areas. Combat forms jumped out of windows into the streets, screaming violently, into the remaining rebel force that fruitlessly tried to solve the situation.

Osiris tried to avoid contact with both the rebels and the Flood as much as they could and find a viable LZ to be picked up by Thorne. As they maneuvered through an alleyway to bypass a city block, the team was spotted by a lone human combat form standing above them on one of the building's rooftops. It shrieked loudly alerting more nearby combat forms.

The monsters dropped down behind the team and in front of them, blocking any escape routes. With little to no ammo left for their weapons, and being outnumbered, the Spartans decided that it would be better to execute maneuver beta alpha as Korra called it…to run away fast. Tanaka rammed an exit door from one of the buildings giving her team a chance to make a run for it. Running through the building, Osiris ran up the apartment building through several floors before making their way to the rooftop. There were several combat forms waiting for them there, but this time they simply bodied the infected before they could react, jumping into the other building's rooftop.

Landing with a loud sound and cracking the concrete floor of the roof, the team kept running and jumping over the row of buildings towards what they believed to be a city square. Smoke blurred Korra's vision but she kept pace by watching her teammates' backs. Running away was not in her nature, but she knew that even Spartan supersoldiers were not a physical match for the infected Flood combat forms and their numbers. Korra heard the sounds of a Hornet's engines flying ahead. An AV-14 Attack VTOL aka the Hornet was flying above the chaotic city square firings its nose-mounted autocannon at the incoming combat forms trying to bring it down. There were two soldiers on the aircraft's sides armed with SAWs firing at the crowd of infected below. The Hornet was ignoring the Spartans as it was being jumped by Flood.

With the group of Flood still on their trail, the team decided to advance into the square anyway. More Hornets appeared aiding the lone one, three more, and began firing their autocannons and their twin rocket launchers as well. That is until one spotted the UNSC supersoldiers, having been trained to recognize UNSC personnel as hostiles that should be taken down, the one Hornet focused its autocannon at the team. The bullets of the aircraft ripped through the concrete building with ease making the rooftop collapse downward with the Spartans along with it.

Korra pushed a piece of concrete off her, she was covered in dust but was fine aside from that. The others rose up from underneath the debris intact as well. "We have a two-way fight on our hands." Vale said, "Should we take down those Hornets?"

"No, they're taking the Flood's attention off us." Korra said, "For now anyways."

Locus was growing frustrated by what was happening, he knew he couldn't go with them back to their ship. So he began to formulate a plan, a way to give them the slip without them noticing. The team walked out into the hallway of the floor they've fallen into. It seemed to be an office building, papers and files riddled the floors with blood and organic matter sprayed on every cubicle and office equipment.

There were some dead soldiers on the office boss's office room. They had barricaded themselves inside but their hasty barricade had been taken apart by the Flood and so were the occupants. Korra walked inside and picked up one of the dead soldier's weapons. A retired weapon that was used in the Human-Covenant War long ago, the M45 Tactical Shotgun. The others grabbed some assault rifles and battle rifles. "We have enough ammo to make a run outside." Locus stated.

"So what's our LZ?" Buck asked.

"The only viable way to get out is to clear the square. The fighting should've taken a toll on both sides outside, or at least the Hornets." Korra said, "Once we get outside, call Thorne and tell him to haul ass here."

"Understood." Vale responded.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a nearby town beyond New Kiev, Throne was taking cover behind the corner of a building. He had taking shelter in one of the town's church's tower to communicate with Osiris and have some sort of visibility of the city and the NCA base. He had left the pelican they had arrived in somewhere between the city and the town. It was locked down, so it couldn't be hijacked.

Several hours ago a full scale infestation had begun all over Capella, its reach spreading quickly enough since the infectors, the Flood, were pure forms and already severely infected combat forms releasing spores into the air. The planet's defense force was taken by complete surprise and as they lost units the Flood gained more.

Thorne had to get out of the town and back into the pelican before Korra and the other's signal him for evac. He was armed with only an SMG and a magnum pistol. He rolled out of cover into the main street of the town, people ran out of their houses as they were being chased down by combat forms. Thorne fired his SMG at the incoming monsters, filling them with bullets at a quick pace. He kept pushed through several of them before reaching the military blockage that the rebels had made to keep the infection out but it had colossally failed. The blockade was mostly APCs and Warthogs blocking the town's entrance.

The drivers and soldiers there had been killed, nothing there remaining but body parts and Flood growths inside some of the vehicles. Thorne jumped inside one of the more salvageable warthogs and turned it on. The engine came to live and roared. "Nice!" Thorne cheered. He backed the vehicle and then put in drive rolling down the road into the forest. The road led towards the city, but he would take a detour into where he had left the pelican. Luckily the warthog was made for off road driving.

As he drove through the forest he ran over several infection forms and infected animals on his way to the pelican. He stopped the warthog and jumped out, there it was. A G79H-TC Pelican, equipped with 90mm gun turrets, a 70mm autocannon, a nose mounted heavy Spartan Laser cannon, and an additional heavy turret for the cargo passengers to use. It was fully decked out. Thorne smirked at the thought of piloting this bad boy once again. He opened the pelican's cargo entrance and hopped inside the pilot seat. He turned on the pelican's engines and prepared for lift off. "Osiris Two, this is Osiris Actual. Can you copy?" Thorne spoke through the radio.

Static… "This is Osiris Actual, Osiris Two can you copy, over?" He tried again.

Static…he was going to try one more time but was stopped by Buck. "I can hear you kid, we're in the middle of a fucking warzone! How's that pick up going?!"

Thorne smiled, they were fine after all. Well…alive anyway. "I'm on my way now! Prepare! ETA 4 minutes!"

* * *

Back on New Kiev, things had gone to hell. The rebel hornets had been reduced to two after a long battle, but they were barely hanging on fighting against the might of the Flood. Korra was taking cover underneath a collapsed wall, reloading her shotgun. If she had earthbending she could bring down the entire block down but she wasn't strong enough…she cocked the shotgun with frustration. The Flood had become more coordinated than before meaning that there had to be a Proto-Gravemind somewhere. But there wasn't time for this, the team and her had to survive long enough for Thorne to get them.

Korra came out of cover and fired her shotgun, taking down four combat forms down. But a carrier form snuck up behind her and exploded, cracking her energy shields. She fired at the incoming infection forms which tried to pierce her armor. They popped as she fired at them. Buck and the others were also being surrounded by the sheer amount of enemy forces, one of the last remaining Hornets was brought down by a rocket launching wielding combat form. It crashed down with great force, taking some of the Flood with it in the explosion.

Korra fell back towards the others, "Where is Thorne and that pick up?!" Korra asked.

"He should be here any second now!" Buck responded firing his assault rifle at incoming infection forms.

"Guys, more incoming!" Tanaka pointed out as loud crashing noises could be heard from the south street. Boom! Boom! BOOM! An immense titanic Flood pure form came walking up the street towards them, stomping on smaller combat forms as it did. It was the Flood Juggernaut, a form considered to be rare when it came to the Flood Pure Forms.

"Holy shit!" Buck yelled. The Flood Juggernaut used its long arms to hit the Hornet off the air and crashed into a nearby building.

It began to walk towards them, with several combat forms on tow… Osiris stood frozen as death staggered towards them. Korra swallowed a big gulp of saliva as her eyes blue eyes were wide open.

Then a shot from a high powered Spartan Laser cannon ionized the wind and sliced through the Juggernaut's disgusting body, bringing the titan down in a single hit. Osiris turned to see the pelican hovering above them, with Thorne piloting it. "Everyone get in!" He called out while opening the pelican's entrance. The Flood forms began to run towards the pelican in a frenzy.

Korra, Vale, Buck and Tanaka quickly jumped aboard the pelican. Throne closed the hatch and fired the pelican's autocannons at the incoming Flood killing them and then flew the dropship away from the battleground and into the sky.

Buck wasted no time in sitting down and catch his breath. "That…that was something." He said.

"Wait, where's Locus?" Vale asked.

"The son of a bitch…" Korra said seeing that he had stayed behind, they hadn't notice in the heat of the battle.

"Korra, I've made contact with the Ultimus. They're here." Thorne said, Korra walked towards the cockpit of the pelican. It had room for two in it.

"Take us to it."

* * *

Meanwhile somewhere in the ruins of New Kiev, Locus stood alone in darkness. He looked at his datapad on his wrist. He activated his beacon.

"Look at you, Locus. You look worse for wear." The voice of Felix came out of the datapad.

"You left me behind." Locus responded.

"Relax. I was able to recover all of Lockhart's data before the place exploded." Felix boasted, "And besides, I never left the planet."

"Where are you now?" Locus asked.

"Close by. Wait some minutes will ya? Piloting this friggin thing is like piloting a brick." Felix stated, "How about this time we split the reward once we get back to the boss?"

"Fine."


	10. Nirvana

**UNSC Ultimus**

 **Orbiting Planet Capella**

Korra stood inside the Prowler's bridge, she was off her armor and had taken a quick shower before meeting with the captain. She may be a Spartan, but she was still outranked by the ONI captain.

"Korra, come." Captain Santana asked the Spartan to come inside his office.

"Yes, sir."

Korra entered his small office, it was built adjacent to the bridge so the commander of the vessel could relax while still being able to give out orders. She took a seat in front of the captain's desk.

"So, we have a Code Hades happening on the planet right about now." Capt. Santana said with his right hand on his face. He knew what the top brass would say to him once they got back to base. "What happened?"

"Well sir…you can read my report later, right now we need to…!" Korra tried to say but was cut off by the officer.

"Tell me what happened, agent." Santana insisted. Korra sighed.

"Aye, sir." Korra gave in. "We successfully infiltrated the target, but we found out the priority one knew about our mission. We continued as expected. Found out that the rebels had acquired Promethean Knights and weaponry somehow and that they were on top of a Forerunner facility which had its security turned off."

"Continue."

"The team and I fought against two contracted mercenaries which wore MJOLNIR sets of armor. I had pictures of them in my helmet's cam, but I lost it…in the…well, priority one activated some sort of portal deeper in the base. In doing so it killed the base's power and was forced to use back-up generators. The thing is that the portal led to a Flood hive in the…Spirit World." Korra told him.

"Ah yes, the Spirit World. I've read of it in Spartan Washington's report not so long ago. Including files written by Captain Thomas Lasky and Commander Sarah Palmer. Nevertheless, the Flood has been unleashed upon this world." Santana stood up from his chair and walked towards a nearby window. He looked upon the doomed Capella below. "You know what this means, correct?"

"Yes." Korra said in saddened way.

"Send out the signal to the fleet." Santana said, "Code Hades. Priority Alpha. Initiate approach number 100."

Korra nodded in acknowledgement and walked out of the office.

* * *

After some hours…an entire fleet arrived.

" _We have arrived and it is now that we perform our charge. In fealty to Earth, our cradle world, and the UNSC, I declare the cleansing of the Outer Colony of Capella. I hereby sign the death warrant of an entire world, and consign a million of surviving souls into oblivion. May Earth's justice account in all balance…for the UNSC!"_

The vessels began to fire at the planet with their MAC cannons, bombarding the hell out of it, specially aiming at city centers.

Within the Ultimus, Korra watched from her quarters as one of the ships broke from the fleet's alignment. It was an immense ship, Autumn-class…

"It is…human nature to seek culpability in a time of tragedy." Korra thought, her experiences began to crawl into her mind. "It is a sign of strength to cry against fate rather to bow one's head and…succumb."

Korra left her room and walked down the empty hallways of the crew quarters towards the cafeteria. There the rest of Osiris were enjoying well-deserved meals and drinks with the rest of the personnel. She smiled but continued walking towards the viewing port of the ship to look directly at was occurring nearby.

"Inevitable many shall fall upon the sword which fell Capella…the Office of Naval Intelligence." Korra thought about the lives they could've saved…the ones they had to ignore for the success of the mission. And those who will fall in the future for it. "But ONI merely performs the duty of its office…to further fear them is redundant, to hate them…treacherous."

The Autumn-class vessel prepared to fire from its MAC cannon a rather unorthodox missile. "Hopefully those who know of the truth that happened here will not learn to hate ONI and rather help them in times of dire need. I've come to learn that sometimes, the outcome justifies the means. That the light should be reached no matter how we fight through the darkness…to get it."

The Autumn-class ship fired as the other vessels quickly backed away from it. The projectile was an immense bullet-shaped object. It had no markings nor signs, but it was made for this sort of occasion. A last dire effort to wipe the slate clean.

The NOVA Bomb.

"In the end though, it was I who gave out the order. The one responsible for the destruction of an entire planet that I couldn't save." Korra placed her hand on top of the glass overlooking the planet as a blinding flash made her close her eyes.

The planet's crust was thrown into space as its tectonic plates were obliterated in a course of seconds. Capella's atmosphere burned and its landmasses were engulfed in magma and fire. The entire crust and mantle collapsed into themselves…in one big explosion. In one single bang. A world had died. "I couldn't save them."

"Spirits…forgive me."

The End.

* * *

 **APPENDIX**

 **/…** FIELD REPORT…/

 _OPERATION:_ Bronze Dagger

 _STATUS:_ SUCCESS

 _OBJECTIVE:_ PRIORITY ONE TERMINATED. PRIORITY TWO OBLITERATED.

 _DETAILS_ : Commander Lockhart, a very important member of the New Colonial Alliance, was killed by ONI Fireteam Osiris. Planet Capella, a hub for terrorists, arms dealers, and rebels has been taken off the map. Flood activity unexpected, but quelled along with the world.

 _STATUS OF OPERATIVES:_

 _ORISIS ONE:_ Spartan Korra [REDACTED] – In operational health. Prepared and ready for next mission.

 _OSIRIS TWO: S_ partan Edward Buck – Minor wounds. In operational health. Prepared and ready for next mission.

 _OSIRIS THREE:_ Spartan Olympia Vale – Minor burns and scratches. Prepared and battle ready.

 _ORISIS FOUR:_ Spartan Holly Tanaka – In operational health. Prepared and ready for next mission.

 _OSIRIS CONTROL:_ Spartan Gabriel Thorne – In operational health.

 _NOTES:_

UNSC HIGHCOM notified of Capella's destruction. A major strike has been delivered to traitor forces. A token battlegroup remains in the system to secure no Flood survived the annihilation of the planet. Planet's fate told to have been an asteroid crash. Admiral Osman congratulates Fireteam Osiris for their efficiency in battle and willingness to follow orders.

Mission Report submitted by Spartan Korra attached to this field report. She is ready for the next operation.

XXXX

 **ALERT! HIGH ALERT! MESSAGE TO ALL UNSC DEFENSE FORCES.**

 **ALERT! ALERT!**

UNSC SPARTAN TEAM CODENAME: _Blue Team_ HAS GONE AWOL DURING DUTY. ALERT! ALERT!

NAVY AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS FROM NAVCOM…

…

…

OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE: Top Security Danger. _Fireteam Osiris_ sent to apprehended:

Blue-One: Spartan John-117

Blue-Two: Kelly-087

Blue-Three: Frederic-104

Blue-Four: Linda-058

TARGETS CONSIDERED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. FIRETEAM OSIRIS WILL OPERATE ABOARD THE UNSC INFINITY UNTIL FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS AND WILL ONLY ANSWER TO CAPTAIN THOMAS J. LASKY (SN: 98604-72690-TL).

xxxxx


End file.
